The Silliest Jurassic Park FanFiction Ever Written
by Lord Kristine
Summary: An experimental narrative that utilizes the most ridiculous plot points known to man while still conforming to the style of the original source material. Things. Get. Weird. *Now With Sequel* Comments are very much appreciated.
1. Prologue

**Isla Nublar**

**120 Miles West of Costa Rica**

A clap of thunder sent a shock wave through the tropical jungle, dully rocking a muddy RV trailer that had been hurriedly parked between two large boulders. Although it was backed up against a cliff, the vehicle was hardly sheltered from the rain, which poured down like a cascade of high-velocity pebbles. Given the frantic nature of the scene, the raindrops were not unlike anxious fingers, tapping the glossy roof with a sense of desperate urgency. The rhythm was, in essence, a natural metronome for the vehicle's occupants, though the tempo was far too sporadic and frenzied for their liking. Every so often, a swaying palm tree would be caught in an unexpected blast of wind, creating an unearthly wail as the pinnate leaves rattled in defiance, snapping at the storm like a pack of ferocious predators. The surrounding vegetation would occasionally be thrust against the trailer with a metallic thud, startling those inside. The impact was fierce enough to buckle the roof . . . or so it seemed.

The noise, however, failed to overpower the shrieks and gurgles that came from behind the reinforced windows.

A group of scientists and maintenance workers were frantically searching for a means to silence a meter-long reptile, whom they had recently captured. The head scientist and his female assistant were struggling to hold it still, clamping its mouth shut whenever possible, for it had chewed through their muzzle. The device was still fastened around its skull, though the front segment dangled from the reptile's mouth like a gob of saliva.

Although it was less than a year old, the hatchling proved to be a rebellious hostage, not as lethal as its adult counterparts, perhaps, but troublesome nonetheless. As it thrashed about, its captors compensated for each movement tenaciously, just barely managing to constrain its pebbly body, which was still slick with rainwater. Whenever it made a lunge for their faces, they squeezed it reprimandingly, though the assistant would sometimes offer random phrases of gentle reassurance to lessen the cruelty of the gesture.

The lesser scientists would often flinch at these potentially hostile movements, latently preparing themselves for an unprecedented escape. They remained tense long after these brief intervals, watching the creature out of the corners of their eyes. Their anxiety did not remain unnoticed by their supervisor, however, who used their fear as a sordid motivator.

"Don't let the little bugger distract you, folks; it only gives the pack more time to plan an ambush. Let's shut him up so we can put some distance between us, eh?" a brawny engineer prompted.

A few scientists cringed at the man's comment. There was no way they could delay the trailer's discovery; it was far too late for a silent escape, and the creature's vocalizations had nothing to do with it. Had they captured any other infant, as they had done countless times before, they would be as safe as was possible on a dinosaur-infested island. He wasn't the largest theropod they had wrangled- not even close- but the species' deadliness was not dependent on brute force alone.

Because they had not prepared themselves for anything more than a grab-and-go mission, the researchers were the quarry of a relentless foe, and everyone knew it. No one was safe as long as they remained stationary beside the crossroad, and the pretense of subtlety was nothing more than a dubious façade to the panicked scientists.

The maintenance workers, on the other hand, seemed to believe the engineer's claims, though they lacked the competence needed to contribute to the endeavor.

It was clear that someone would have to decide upon a course of action.

Nobody volunteered.

Whether or not they could access their destination by speeding across the most direct path was becoming irrelevant as their assailants drew near. The longer road, though more concealed, was hazardous in rainy conditions, but they were somewhat equipped for this type of vehicular travel. Neither option was completely viable, given the cunning of their adversaries and the unpredictable weather. Whatever the case, they would have to motor it if a consensus couldn't be reached.

Without warning, their situation became much, _much_ worse. The back half of the trailer suddenly lurched into a squelchy dike, splashing the bumper with putrid water. Those who were close to the walls grabbed counters and ledges for support. A toolbox smashed open with a frightening bang. The scalpels inside slid across the floor one by one, clattering against the back wall noisily, creating a cacophony of percussive rattling.

After a couple of half-hearted wobbles, the RV finally settled itself in a precarious, slanted state. A temporary river had formed at the base of the cliff behind the trailer, and the earth beneath the back wheels was slowly washing away.

"Someone, get the tow rope!" the engineer shouted.

The scientists froze. Some shuffled backwards sheepishly, others stared at the man with utter disbelief. Surely, he didn't expect . . .

"You, Joe! On your feet!"

The conscripted mechanic shook his head fiercely, but his reluctance was soon dismissed. Before he could protest any further, he was shoved out the door, still whimpering, into the rainy darkness.

With Joe gone, a sudden hush swept over the scientists. The baby dinosaur was no longer screaming. It sat quietly in the scientists' arms, chirruping pleasantly. Somehow, this was less reassuring than before.

"Alright men, keep it moving! We don't want to get behind schedule!"

Although most personnel obeyed his commands, some stared ominously out the front window, waiting for the inevitable tragedy to occur. They had seen death before, but they were never quite ready for it, nor had they been completely desensitized to gore and violence. Through the front window, they tried to get a good view of the jungle, but the rain was thick, and it was nearly impossible to see through the dense, silver curtain of vapor.

One spectator turned to his friend and began to place bets on how long Joe would survive. He was joking, of course, but they still agreed on "less than five minutes". Morbid humor was hardly a rarity in such tense environments, but there was a hint of seriousness to this particular gag. Rather than dwell on it, the scientists focused their attention on the engineer, who was presently yelling at them.

"Quit gawking! We have work to do! Get your rears into gear, people!"

They obeyed. Fumbling through the drawers with lithe movements, they ducked out of the engineer's line of sight.

"That's more like it! Well, I'll be damned! Johnson found a rope! Tie the little sucker up, boys, and for the love of god, someone tell Joe to hurry u-"

The trailer rocked. Suddenly, the researchers were paralyzed with fear. Even the engineer seemed petrified. After a moment of silence, he attempted to resume his authoritative instructions.

"It was nothing. Forget about it. We-"

Before he could finish, Johnson turned him around with his free hand. There, sliding down the front windshield, was a bloody stub of an arm.

"My god . . ."

"Is that? . . ."

The engineer turned sharply.

"Move! Move! Move!" he bellowed.

The man in the driver's seat slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The wheels spun uselessly. The engineer knew that they would need to conserve their fuel, seeing as they had no idea how long it would have to last, but if one of those raptors breached the fragile windows, they wouldn't live long enough to burn their supply.

"Hey, Simon! Any chance you could get us moving?" the engineer shouted.

"You want to get out and push?" Simon snapped.

The engine's roar, combined with human shouts and raptor cries, was loud enough to force any coherent thoughts to dissipate upon arrival. The personnel, who had once (for the most part) graduated with distinction, were now as competent as lobotomized pigeons. It was a chaotic scene.

Then, for a brief moment, the raptors went silent, except for the baby in the back area, who had resumed his wailing. A single cry emerged from outside the vehicle, followed by silence, save for the constant revving of the engine and the shrieking infant. The head scientist scanned the room with a scowl, holding his index finger over his lips. His assistant was shaking fiercely, but she managed to catch Simon's eye. He stopped revving the engine as everyone listened intently.

The baby emitted a short, shrill call. From outside, a similar response, then silence. A single raptor stepped into the light of the back window. She moved forward with a calculated prowl, prodding the trailer with her snout to find a weak spot. She raised her head when she reached the window, her breath fogging the glass with each puff.

Suddenly, she backed away. The scientists, who had been frozen with terror, began to let their guard down.

_BAM!_

The first impact of four raptors simultaneously ramming the back wall rocked the RV, knocking anything loose across the floor. Everyone scrambled to their feet, bracing themselves for the next attempt. The second impact came, and with it, a large crack in the back window.

"Simon, get that engine revving! We've got to move!"

Simon gunned the accelerator.

Then came the third, hardest, _most brutal_ impact. The force, coupled with the aggressive revving of the engine, dislodged the RV from the dike and sent everyone to the floor again, as they had been bracing for a short thrust, and were therefore caught off guard by the sudden movement of the vehicle.

As much as they wanted to get away from the raptors, their chauffeur could only drive around 45 km/hour safely. Driving at night in a jungle with torrential rains meant that any slight mistake on his part would send the RV straight into a tree, and that would certainly mean being overrun by raptors . . . or instant death, if they were lucky.

The engineer was once again on the verge of an outburst, but Simon didn't need reminding. He set the RV in motion, conscious of his speed, but more aware of the teeth and claws behind him. They barreled down the long route, bobbing up and down with the trailer like hula dancers.

Somehow, Johnson had managed to tie the baby raptor down, meaning the head scientist and his companion were free to move around. They could see the raptors running a car's length behind them. Unfortunately for the scientists, they were having no trouble closing the gap. The chieftain of the velociraptors made a lunge for the vehicle, but missed.

"Do you think those raptors are doing sixty?" the assistant ventured.

"Are you serious?" the head scientist spat, "This isn't exactly an ideal time to clock their speed!"

"That's not what I meant," she snapped as she stumbled through the crowd. She pushed her way past the frazzled scientists, making her way towards Simon, who was still driving like a madman.

"I have a plan. Boost us up to sixty," she commanded.

"But I-"

"This part of the road runs straight for quite a while . . . Just do it!"

He shifted most of his weight to his right foot, accelerating them brutally.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing . . ."

She did.

Within a short amount of time, they began to match the raptors' current speed.

"Are you_ crazy_?" the head scientist shouted, having just noticed the absence of his partner, "We can't outrun them!"

"We don't have to," she replied smugly.

Suddenly, sirens began to blare over pole-mounted loudspeakers.

"Ha-ha! We triggered the speed-radar!" she whooped.

Sure enough, the raptors were backing off. They seemed to think that the humans had called for backup, or were at least alerted to their presence. They had broken formation, unfocused and confused.

"We lost 'em! Good thinking, Kibbledimpsky!" the engineer said brusquely.

"Actually, it's-"

Before she could finish, Simon slammed his foot on the brake pedal, as they had mistakenly approached a hidden intersection. The trailer rolled onto its side, spiraling in the mud like a spinning bottle. It stopped when it came into contact with a decaying log, which penetrated the front windshield, nearly impaling the scientists like skewered meat. Most personnel managed to avoid the tree. Simon, however, was not so lucky. A small branch pinned his shoulder to the wall like an entomologist's prized specimen, nearly cracking under his weight. He began to bleed profusely. The other scientists, who were not severely injured, crawled through the shattered windshield to escape.

"Head for the jeeps! Leave the raptor!" the engineer shouted from the overturned vehicle.

With these words, the adult raptors, who had been watching the scene with primal curiosity, began to advance towards the trailer. The head scientist and his assistant were hobbling away from the scene together, both limping badly. They turned toward the wreckage with morbid awe.

"My god, they understand!" the assistant whispered.

They flung themselves into a jeep, which had been parked beside the maintenance garage, just as the raptors reached the RV. As they drove away, they could hear Simon screaming. He gurgled, and then was gone. Many scientists closed their eyes or bowed their heads, but Johnson was too busy to notice their despair. He had brought the raptor along, unbeknownst to the pack, and against the engineer's will. His co-workers seemed displeased with his actions, but they were too shaken to come up with a reprimanding lecture.

The scientists sped off in their Wranglers, now fast enough to outrun the raptors. With heavy hearts, they mourned the loss of their friend. The baby raptor howled like a phantom, lost in the darkness and unheard by its kin.

One thing was for certain: it was going to be a long night.


	2. Wu

**BADLANDS**

**Near Drumheller, Alberta**

The Horseshoe Canyon was scorching hot, even for a dig site. Though slightly more vegetated than most badlands, it was certainly no cakewalk for paleontologists, as there was little shade to be found in the flat landscape and hardly any moisture in the air. The hills were too rounded to cast effective shadows, and nobody dared stand beneath a hoodoo. It wasn't exceedingly dangerous, per se, but it was often associated with bad luck. Many paleontologists were familiar with urban legends involving reckless teens toppling the structures and, although none of them took the stories too seriously, the morals still stuck. The clicking of their sharp, silver tools echoed off the barred canyon walls in an irritable fashion. It was as if fifty people had decided to give a toast simultaneously at a dinner party. The tarps they had set up were competing for their attention, rumbling in the wind as it gusted through the sand.

Many yards away, the curators of _The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology_ were welcoming their guest speakers. A man and a woman stepped off the shuttle bus that had been reserved for their use. They shielded their eyes from the sun by tipping their hats, also hoping to keep them from blowing away in the strong desert wind. After exchanging a brief greeting, the museum staff led them to the front entrance, where a banner had been unfurled in their honor. Emblazoned beside the text of the poster (which read "Trike Talk") was a cartoony triceratops with sunglasses.

"Funny, I don't remember them being neon blue," the man grumbled sardonically. The woman hushed him, and they entered the museum.

Inside, they were greeted by a husky man with a thick handlebar mustache and curly red hair. He shook their hands enthusiastically, his beady eyes twinkling like little stars.

"Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler, it's a pleasure to meet both of you! How was the flight from Wyoming? Did you go see Big Al?" he bubbled.

Grant removed his aviators and stared him straight in the eyes.

"I'm afraid I'm not a big fan of theropods, Mr. Geoffrey," he said pointedly.

Taken aback by his comment, Geoffrey stood quite still, his eyes darting back and forth uncomfortably. Finally, Sattler broke the silence.

"Your museum is quite impressive. Is it true that you have a brachiosaurus?"

"It's a cast, I'm afraid, but it is very complete. Still, there's nothing quite like the real thing, eh?" he barked jovially.

"You have no idea," Grant huffed as he left to check in at the front desk. Sattler and Geoffrey watched him leave.

"He's a bit tired . . . We didn't get much sleep on the flight to Calgary. You- You said there was an auditorium?" she inquired hastily.

"Yes . . ." Geoffrey began, still confused, "Once Dr. Grant has checked in, we'll set you up at the podium . . . Are you _sure _he's alright?"

"Oh, he'll be fine. Once he starts talking about trikes, he can't be convinced to stop! They're his favorite, you know."

"So I heard. Ah, here he comes! Follow me."

The two paleontologists followed Geoffrey, both a little disgruntled from the exchange. Sattler put her hand on Grant's arm. It was not a loving gesture: it was a gentle warning. If they wanted to avoid a fiasco, they would have to forget about their experiences with InGen and Jurassic Park.

_***TSJPFEW***_

"There is no solid evidence that torosaurus and triceratops were one and the same, but we could be on the verge of discovering an important link. We now know that brontosaurus does not exist as a separate species, and thus, we can reasonably assume that human error is a possibility in this case as well. We still can't explain why a trike would suddenly develop holes in its frill, but we're well on our way to coming up with a reasonable hypothesis. I hope that answers your question."

"Thank you, Dr. Grant."

The auditorium was packed with people. Among them, there must have been over thirty children (as Dr. Sattler had pointed out at the beginning of the lecture) who were all wearing playfoam triceratops hats (still blue, as Dr. Grant had pointed out as they were entering the theatre area). Although some of the children stayed with their parents, the younger ones sat cross-legged on a red mat by the front of the stage. Some seemed bored, while others listened so intently that they hardly moved a muscle. One such child raised his hand. A staff member made his way over with a microphone. The child stood up to ask his question.

"Is it true that some dinosaurs ate rocks?" he squeaked.

"Well, they didn't really eat the rocks so much as swallow them," Grant began, "They needed these stones to digest their food, which, as Dr. Sattler mentioned earlier, was not entirely crushed by their teeth."

"Thank you." the child replied.

As he sat down, Sattler took a sip from her water bottle. So far, the presentation had been incident-free, but the mention of gizzard stones dwelled uncomfortably close in subject to the encounter they had had with the sick triceratops, who had ingested West Indian Lilac berries accidentally while consuming nearby rocks. They would be fine with any other conversation point, of course, as long as no one dared to ask the most sensitive question . . .

"Dr. Grant, can we ever bring dinosaurs back to life?"

Sattler spat out her water. She coughed a couple of times, genuinely embarrassed. Although she was certain that he had noticed, Grant gave no indication of it.

"Well, if we _could_ find a way to recreate dinosaurs, we'd have to exercise great caution," he said calmly.

He caught Sattler's eye, gave her a "you-don't-have-to-worry-about-me" kind of look, and turned back to the mic.

"I'd say our time was just about up, but if you want to learn more about dinosaurs, you can head into the museum. Thank you."

The audience applauded, and some of the children gave them a standing ovation. The buzz of conversation quickly flooded through the theatre as the guest speakers made their way towards the exit. Once they had squeezed through the crowd, they were congratulated by Geoffrey, who shook their hands like maracas.

"That was wonderful! The kids loved it, too! You were spellbinding!"

"Well, the audience didn't fall asleep, so I guess I can't be_ too_ boring," Grant joked.

"I suppose not!" Geoffrey laughed.

Although the fractious tension between the two had dissipated, it was not destined to last long. The sound of a heavy, disjointed roar seemed to be approaching the museum. The crew cocked their heads to better identify the sound.

It was a helicopter.

When it became clear that the chopper was set to land nearby, Dr. Grant began to walk briskly towards the exit. There was no doubt who was responsible for the unscheduled landing, though he didn't want to believe it. Ellie apologized to Geoffrey and ran after him, hoping that it was a false alarm. In any case, she would have to slow him down, or he would arouse suspicion. Nobody needed to know than they were involved with Hammond or his affiliates.

She caught up with Grant and grabbed his arm.

"Alan! Alan, wait! It's probably nothing," she pleaded.

"Goddamnit, Ellie, you know as well as I do that it's InGen! How many museums have helicopters?"

"Fine, fine, you're right. But it's probably more paperwork. You know: nothing serious."

He wasn't convinced. They ran out the front entranceway and, sure enough, an InGen chopper had landed near the dig site. The propellers slowed down, lessening the small sandstorm they had created. The paleontologists were not pleased. Some yelled at the pilot in frustration, others covered the unearthed fossils to prevent further damage. It was a mess.

Sattler apologized to the paleontologists as she passed by. They glared at her, but she ignored them. As they approached the chopper, Sattler and Grant noticed a dark-haired man in a lab coat climbing out of the back seat. They had met him before, but only briefly. Still, it was hard to forget an experience like the hatching of a velociraptor. The man's name, however, eluded them.

"Hello, Dr. Grant, Dr. Sattler. How have you been?"

"Fine, thank you. What's this about?" Grant snapped, wondering where Hammond was.

"It's just a precaution. You'll need to return to the US with us. Follow me."  
>Sattler shook her head.<p>

"Hold on a second. We are NOT getting into that helicopter until you explain what's going on. We aren't scheduled to leave until the third," she protested.

The man turned sharply.

"For your own safety, I must insist that you postpone any further plans and come with me," he whispered harshly.

It was clear that, whatever the issue was, they had no choice in the matter. The implied urgency of this meeting was a shift from the usual encounters with InGen, which were usually businesslike and well-regulated. Since the initial disaster, they had signed countless forms, documents, and pacts to ensure the company's credibility. It was stressful work, and they weren't morally satisfied with their nondisclosure, but Hammond had made the ordeal as smooth as possible. He truly regretted his decisions regarding Jurassic Park, and he was more than ready to accept responsibility for what had happened on Isla Nublar. He was still a sweet old man, visionary and eccentric, but he was certainly less naïve after the incident. If there was one thing that could get them on this helicopter, it was the implied promise that they could somehow assist the poor man in his endeavors.

"Alright, we'll go. Just don't expect us to stay for long," Grant hummed.

"I'd like nothing more than to be a good host, Dr. Grant, but the subject matter we are about to discuss is anything but pleasant," the man said with a frown, "Ah, that reminds me: I've brought one of your friends along."

"Who?" they asked in unison.

A scruffy passenger (who had been speaking with the pilot in the front seat) sat up and greeted them from the window.

"I take it you're still digging up dinosaur bones?"

"Ian!" they shouted simultaneously.

Mr. Malcolm climbed out of the helicopter, wearing his usual black attire. He returned a lengthy hug from Sattler, which irked Grant. No one seemed to notice his discomfort, however, and before they knew it, they were packed into the helicopter, ready to fly to their southern destination.

On their way out of town, the crew passed the municipal square. A lumpy, green dinosaur statue, delicately encircled by a ring of fluttering flags, was visible from the left side of the chopper. Behind it, a massive saurian foot was being repositioned in what appeared to be a construction site.

"Did you hear they're building _The World's Largest Dinosaur_?" the pilot shouted from the front seat, "Can you imagine a giant T-Rex standing _right there_? Impressive."

"You're new to InGen, aren't you?" Grant huffed unpleasantly, much to the pilot's confusion.

"Alan!" Sattler snapped.

"Oh, let him have his fun, Ellie. I can still call you 'Ellie', right? It's been a while . . ." Malcolm said jokingly as he chewed on a stick of gum.

"Yes, it has," Grant retorted threateningly.

They soared past the gigantic foot, over the river, through the hills, and into the sunlight. Whatever awaited them on the other side of the border, it was not going to be a friendly rendezvous.

_***TSJPFEW***_

Within less than two hours, they were flying over Montana. Ellie was surprised to find that, even after several months of coming to terms with the traumatic events at Isla Nublar, Ian was as sardonic as ever. Ellie even suspected that he was attempting to make advances towards her, but she paid him no mind. It was good to see a familiar face, even if this particular face sometimes dwelled uncomfortably close to her personal space.

Truth be told, she still wasn't over the incident herself. She often had nightmares that recreated her experience in the power shed, ventilation shafts, and even the jeep. Sometimes, she would find herself running through an endless jungle, unable to escape whatever happened to be chasing her that night. Most of the time, it was a raptor, but it was never consistent.

Ellie shook the thought and focused on the friendly chitchat that Alan seemed to be making with Ian.

"You're still a- What did you call it?- a 'chaotician', then, Ian?"

"Uh, no, actually. I've decided that, uh, all of that 'chaos theory' stuff was a waste of time. What good is a theory if you're always proven right, you know?"

"Um . . . sure. So what is it you do now?"

Ian sat up straight in his chair and declared, "I'm a multidimensional theorist."

"A multi-what?" Ellie inquired.

"Oh, you know: the, uh, Parallel Universe Model? No?"

They shook their heads.

"Well, you see, uh, my hypothesis is that there are countless universes that exist across the space-time continuum, each differing slightly from our own."

"That's ridiculous."

"Well, of course it is, Alan! I wouldn't study it if it was real. Like I said: I hate being right all the time."

At that moment, the bioengineer, whom they now knew as Henry Wu, stepped into the back room.

"I'm afraid our CEO isn't feeling too well, so we'll have to cancel our meeting and go straight to Costa Rica," he said apologetically.

"Costa Rica?!" Ellie shrieked.

"You aren't going to take us to the island, are you?" Alan added.

"Calm down. I suppose I'll have to explain myself. You see, all three of you carry a deadly virus that you acquired from your exposure to the InGen dinosaurs, specifically the theropods. When exposed to a large amount of radiation, the virus will begin to take effect, causing reactions that are still somewhat mysterious to us."

"Radiation? What do you mean, 'radiation'? As long as we avoid whatever it is you're talking about, shouldn't we be fine? We haven't exactly been swimming in nuclear waste, you know," Alan pointed out.

Wu paused, sighing deeply.

"It may or may not come as a surprise to you that some of InGen's equipment was . . . less than legal. We have a nuclear reactor under the island, but it gives off very specific pulses of power in emergency situations. As such, it was activated when you reignited the park's power, Dr. Sattler."

"Oh my god," she whispered, "So this virus is . . . dangerous? What does it do?"

"We can't be completely certain without further research," Wu stuttered, "but what we _do_ know is that this situation warrants great caution."  
>"Hang on," Ian interrupted, "You can't just ship us to Jurassic Park and expect us to buy this half-baked explanation! Why are you so concerned if you don't know the symptoms? Why contact us now? And, most importantly, why ship us to an island populated by MAN-EATING DINOSAURS?"<p>

Wu began to lose his temper.

"We have set up an impenetrable perimeter around the guest area with stronger electric fences- too large for the dinosaurs to break through this time. There are guards posted at certain intervals, day and night, and we have built safer vehicles for exterior travel, which you will NOT be partaking in anyway. Only the smallest dinosaurs can bypass security and, with the right equipment, they shouldn't be a problem. The facility is airtight, bar none."

"Impossible."

"I beg to differ, Mr. Malcolm."

"Listen, if you could tell us more about this virus, we'd be much obliged," Alan stated methodically, attempting to bypass Wu's reluctance to explain their condition.

Wu rubbed his temples.

"It's complicated, but I suppose it's not too much for a scientific mind like yours to handle. You see, this virus does not only affect humans. The dinosaurs have also been suffering from the disease, though the effects are drastically different. It seems to only affect the theropods, which indicates that the bird DNA we used to substitute missing gene fragments may be linked to susceptibility."

"Wait, you said that you used _frog_ genes to splice DNA last time we visited," Ellie said dazedly.

"We used different genes for different dinosaurs. They all had traces of frog DNA, but some species required reptilian and avian DNA as well. In hindsight, perhaps we should have listened to Dr. Sorkin . . ."

"Who?"

"You know: Dr. Laura Sorkin?" Wu prompted.

"I'm sorry," Ellie said, "I don't know a Dr. Sorkin. I don't think I've even met anyone named Laura."

"She was a brilliant woman, though we never quite got along. She was right about the splicing, except, oddly enough, for the tyrannosaurus. Its vision is _definitely_ based on movement, and my genetic engineering had nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, our raptors were one of the most unfortunate cases of genetic abnormalities, next to the dilophosaurs. I don't know if you realized, but our raptor DNA samples were from the Gobi desert. They shouldn't have grown to be as large as your Western variety."

"We didn't know about the raptors, but- . . . Wait, was she fired, then, this scientist . . . Dr. Sorkin?" Alan asked bluntly.

"Pardon?"

"You said that Sorkin _was_ a brilliant scientist- past tense- implying that she left InGen. Was she laid off?" Ellie asked, having clued in on his meaning.

"In a manner of speaking," Wu hummed dismissively.

Ellie didn't know what had happened to Dr. Sorkin, but she could sense, by his tone of voice alone, that Wu wasn't telling the whole truth. Apparently, the others felt the same way.

"Look, Doc, I don't expect you to let us in on all your little 'secrets', but some honesty would be very much appreciated," Ian suggested.

"You're right. I'll try to tell you as much as I can, but you may or may not believe me."

"We wouldn't have believed you if you'd told us you had living, breathing dinosaurs either," Ellie pointed out, "Now . . ."

"We know better," Alan said, finishing her sentence.

"Fair enough. The theropods have gained the ability to increase their avian gene prominence for short periods of time. They can sprout feathers, beaks, wings, and . . . and sometimes they can glide for short distances. We've leveled out the forest around the perimeter to prevent entry through flight, so you needn't worry about that, but-"

"It seems as though you're warning us about what _can't_ happen. How about warning us about what _can_?" Alan asked.

Ellie nodded in agreement. To her, Wu's eagerness to reassure them was a sign that, once again, something was amiss at Jurassic Park. Alan had told her that the frog DNA that InGen had used in their gene-sequencing had allowed the dinosaurs to switch gender in a single-sex environment. This whole situation was eerily similar to the frog incident. If they were going to be forced to visit the island, the least Wu could do would be to prepare them for the danger they were about to face.

"Very well," Wu conceded. He opened a storage compartment in the ceiling, pulling out a pile of laminated papers and various pieces of equipment.

"These are the tools you will need to ensure your safety when we arrive at Jurassic Park," he said, passing them to each passenger, "This book will help you identify a possible threat by classifying the dinosaurs you will encounter. You won't be sent far from the Visitors' Center area, but you may need to identify some of the smaller dinosaurs, namely the compys."

"What, this little squeaker?" Ian drawled, pointing to a picture of a minuscule green dinosaur.

"Yes. They are quite dangerous, as they tend to-"

"-swarm unsuspecting prey," Alan said grimly.

"I had forgotten that you were so knowledgeable about saurian behavior," Wu said with a grin, "The compys are aggressive, but the bambiraptors are like pigeons. We've learned to tolerate their presence. They're more of a nuisance than a threat, really."

Ellie turned to the page with information on bambiraptors. They were as small as the fossil record indicated, but it was quite different to actually see a picture of a live model. They were feathered, which was unsurprising, but their coloration was quite unique. Their down feathers were creamy brown, the larger quills being redder and more defined. Along their spine was a roan tinge, which highlighted the white spots on their sides. They were rather cute, but Ellie was still wary of their sharp teeth.

"If you begin to feel threatened by the smaller dinosaurs, use this spray to scare them off," Wu said, holding a green spray-bottle for them to see.

"It says here that the compys are venomous," Alan remarked with concern.

"Mildly," Wu declared, "I'm afraid that some dinosaurs are venomous because . . . Well, it's mostly due to the lizard DNA that we used for . . ."

Wu cleared his throat.

"Anyway, we'll provide you with the proper inoculations to make you semi-resistant to their venom. The worst reactions you'll get are mild hallucinations and dizziness, but it will not be fatal."

Ellie shuddered. She didn't like needles, but if the alternative was toxic venom . . .

"Hey Alan, what's this seetee- uh- kit- kitty-" Ian stuttered.

"Citipati?"

"Is that how you say it? Weird."

"I'm sure it would think that 'Ian' is a weird name, too."

Ellie laughed.

"And this, uh, this too- tuojeeang-"

"Tuojiangosaurus."

"Two-wang-osaurus? He really got the short end of the naming stick, didn't he?"

"Better than pantydraco."

Ian paused.

"You're serious?"

"It's a real dinosaur," Ellie said, confirming Alan's claim.

Ian began to laugh in his usual Ian-ish way. Giggling like a ninny herself, Ellie realized that Wu had left to speak with the pilot. She hadn't noticed whether it had been their fault, but it gave her an idea . . .

"Well, it seems we've scared Doctor Wu away," she said craftily, "I suppose he won't be guanlong."

And thus began a tournament of dinosaur puns, ending with Alan's infamous "Doyouthinkhesaurus" joke. Ellie wondered where he had picked it up. He used it quite often, especially with children, and they seemed to love it every time. Maybe he was just getting better with kids . . .

It wasn't long before Ellie dozed off. She wasn't quite sure when it happened, but one minute, she was resting her eyes, and the next, she was fast asleep. She didn't realize she was dreaming when she found herself running through the jungle. The unmistakable roar of a Tyrannosaurus Rex was enough to convince her of real danger, and she didn't plan to stick around to greet it. Escape was impossible, however, as the tyrannosaurus was approaching her too quickly. She ducked through the trees, but it was no use. A wall of tangled vines created a dead end. She could see the trees tearing apart, evidently due to the unseen dinosaur. A sharp squawk caught her attention. To her left was a pteranodon, perched nonchalantly on a rock. It looked at her with curiosity, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was going to assist her. She called out to it, but it flew away. When she turned back to the forest, she could hear the crunching of vegetation. The trees parted, and-


	3. Deception

Ellie felt herself wake with a start.

The plane was touching down in San José. The wheels whirred noisily beneath her, gradually slowing down as they sped along the private runway. A beam of orange sunlight passed over her face. She slid the window halfway shut, squinting at the harsh morning light. Rubbing her eyes, she sat up in her chair drowsily and stretched her arms.

"Don't worry," Alan said, unbuckling his seatbelt, "You can sleep on the helicopter if you're still tired."

And sleep, she did. She had a fitful and unsatisfying nap, and it wasn't long before she woke up. The helicopter was jostling back and forth, caught in strong turbulence. After apologizing to Alan for waking up so violently (she had, in fact, punched him in the gut out of instinct), she noticed that they were flying across the ocean. The wrinkly waves zoomed past, sometimes reflecting glimmers of light as they undulated up and down.

"I'm afraid you'll have to buckle up; there's a strong headwind," Wu shouted from the front compartment.

"I hope they've sorted out their seat belt issue . . ." Alan said, referring to the improperly installed equipment that he had been forced to use during their first trip. Unfortunately, as they pulled on each end, Ellie found that hers did not reach all the way. They seemed to be a different brand than the rest, which explained the lack of leeway. She sighed, removed one of her khaki strings, and closed the gap.

"That's, uh, very clever. You learn that in Girl Scouts?" Ian joked.

"You know, Ian, I don't think you're quite aware of your verbal ticks. I'd say you're practically a ut-_uh_-raptor by now," Alan retorted.

"What? Are you saying that I have some sort of . . . speech disfluency? That's crazy! I don't say 'uh' all the time! Do I?"

No one answered.

"I can stop whenever I want, you know. No, really, I can! Should I?"

"Well . . ."

"Try to."

The turbulence seemed to be lessening, though it kicked up every now and then, but Ellie didn't care about the weather. They were safest in the air, even with a vicious updraft. Wind wasn't clever. Wind didn't eat people.

Ellie picked up her dinosaur guide and started reading. She knew all of the trivia, of course, but some of the ritualistic behavior intrigued her. There was a diagram of the five main hunting patterns of theropods, but she could only identify three. She supposed that Alan would know more about that, but when it came to herbivorous diet, she was the best in her field. Still, unless she planned to use nutrition as a defense tactic, she was in big trouble. Maybe she could flick poisonous berries at the velociraptors. At least they would get a dinner and a show.

"You worried?" Alan asked gently.

"A little."

"While you were asleep on the plane, Wu told us that it should only take a day or two to identify the virus. We just need to wait for a proper diagnosis, then we can go. We'll be in and out before you know it."

Ellie sighed.

"If only it were that simple. I'd like to believe that nothing's wrong, but . . ."

"I know, I know," Alan whispered, "We just need to be complacent for now. I get the feeling that Wu won't be answering our questions any time soon."

It wasn't _like_ Alan to dismiss such important queries, Ellie thought to herself. He was acting rather strange, especially considering his out-of-character lack of stubbornness.

"What else did Wu say while I was asleep?"

"Nothing much."

Alan remained motionless, showing no signs of abnormal conduct. Ellie, however, noticed a couple of interesting facts. Firstly, Ian was fidgeting more than usual. He and Alan were definitely hiding something. One of her old college professors had told her about an experience he had had at his former job as a customs officer. During his first week of employment, he had met a shady man and his wife at the checkpoint, and when he asked them if they had any weapons to claim, he had caught them out on their lie by examining the wife's facial expressions whenever her husband fibbed. Ellie suspected that something similar was going on here. While she was asleep, they would have had plenty of time to talk. Wu had probably told them something which, for one reason or another, Alan didn't want to share with her. She doubted that they would have risked speaking out loud while she was in earshot (assuming that the news was not meant for her, and it was certainly looking that way), but it was very much possible that Wu might have written it down-

There.

Alan had shoved a folded paper into his left pocket. Ellie could see the outline of printed text through the top part of the sheet, and there appeared to be a lot of it. On the outside, she could see half-smudged squiggles, which she recognized as Alan's handwriting. As far as she could gather, Wu had given him the document, and he had written on the back to communicate with either Ian or Wu to avoid waking her up.

Although she was impressed with her own detective skills, Ellie didn't know how to proceed with this discovery. Should she confront Alan, or trust that he was right to keep it from her? It was a tough decision . . .

"We've arrived," Wu shouted from the passenger's seat.

Sure enough, the island loomed menacingly in the distance. The clouds formed halos around the mountainous region, dipping into the canyons and valleys like fog. Although it was a serene view, the mystery of what lay beneath the haze was overwhelming. From this distance, it was impossible to see any dinosaurs, but Ellie knew they were there. If the area around the Visitors' Center was the only secure location, the dinosaurs could be anywhere outside the perimeter. Of course, the trio wouldn't have to explore their surroundings, but it was frightening to know that, should air-based travel be unavailable, the only way off the island was _through_ dino-infested territory.

They reached the area above the helicopter pad and began their descent. It was a bumpy ride, but they landed safely. As they exited the chopper, a group of Costa Rican workers helped them to the ground. Dozens of armed men seemed to be stationed along the dusty pathway by the electric fence, obviously one of Wu's aforementioned precautions. As the guests entered one of the parked jeeps, Ellie heard the workers mocking them.

"Well, well, well, here come the entrées!"

"I don't know, the lady seems a bit scrawny. Better leave her to the compys."

"I'll bet the man in black is going to die first."

"No, no! The man with the hat is as good as dead; he looks dim-witted to me."

Ellie slammed the jeep door.

"They could at least wait until we're out of earshot," she huffed.

"What?" Alan asked, lowering his map.

"The workers . . . they're making fun of us. Can't you hear them?"

Alan shook his head.

"You must be going deaf. Ian, you heard them, right?"

Ian stopped picking his nails to look up.

"I wasn't listening."

"You men are hopeless!" Ellie laughed.

"Hey, now!" Ian gasped with mock-offense.

"It's true: you never pay attention to your surroundings," Ellie insisted.

"Oh, come on, we're not that aloof- Wait, are we on the island _already_?" Ian joked.

"Okay, that was _really _corny, even for you," Ellie giggled.

"That's just the tip of the iceberg. How about this: a T-Rex, a deinonychus, and a dromiceiomimus walk into a bar . . ."

"Oh, boy," Alan groaned, rolling his eyes, "It's going to be a long drive."

_***TSJPFEW***_

By the time they reached the Visitors' Center, it was almost sundown. They unloaded their luggage from the cargo plane (Wu had called his assistants to fly it over separately), changed into semi-formal attire in the staff locker room, and made their way towards the dining hall. As they passed through the main entranceway, Ellie noticed that the central display was now a colorful flower bed. Obviously, they had rendered the decorative fossils quite unusable during their last visit. Additionally, what had once been a gaping hole in the building was now a large window, which let rays of sunlight stream over the foliage in an esthetically pleasing manner.

The lobby wasn't the only renovated area, however.

The dining hall had been expanded on one side, dipping deeper into the jungle and surrounding fields. The familiar mural was still in place, though it was hidden behind food stations. The crew marched through the buffet line, picked up their trays, and found a table on the outer rim of the patio. All context aside, one might guess that they were at a tropical resort, albeit a resort populated by scientists and technicians.

The staff, who now had access to the tourists' quarters, were also having dinner, though they seemed to be less talkative than the trio. They looked exhausted, or at least overworked. As such, they were too tired to partake in small talk. Ian, however, was going full-throttle, and did not hesitate to point out the excessive amount of parsley on Ellie's plate. She explained that parsley seemed to relieve her stress-related afflictions, and she certainly had a lot of anxiety to deal with after the incident. She had suffered through several phases of physical distress (loss of appetite, momentary weakness, and minor hair-loss, for example) for months after their return to the mainland, and parsley had somehow become a miracle cure. Ian seemed to accept her explanation, and dropped the subject as quickly as he had brought it up.

The patio, Ellie noticed, overlooked a beautiful jungle pool, which was lined with lush ferns and other foliage. Through the electric fence, it was possible to see free-roaming herbivores, mostly hadrosaurs, bathing in the shimmering water. The juvenile dinosaurs would weave between the cattails with glee, splashing each other playfully from time to time. Their parents, who refused to acknowledge the rowdy game, waded through clusters of lily pads, whistling at each other gently and trumpeting whenever their babies wandered too far. Smaller dinosaurs, such as the compys, would hop through the electric fence to scavenge around the perimeter. Occasionally, a bambiraptor would dart between the patio tables, though the scientists were quick to shoo them away. They seemed to be crowding one table, however, where a blonde woman in a lab coat was sneezing furiously. Upon further inspection, Ellie noticed that she was actually feeding the bambiraptors inconspicuously. She would take a bite of her food, spit it into her napkin, and drop it by the leg of her chair. This continued until her companion returned to the table. He scolded her, whispering furiously to avoid drawing attention to her scheme. Obviously, she was either new to the job, or incredibly irresponsible. It turned out to be the latter, however, as her identification card was yellow, meaning she was outranked only by the head of her department.

The InGen hierarchical system was simple and easy to follow, as the ranks were color-coded. There was red for the top managers (Wu was among them, having been promoted shortly after the incident), orange for the heads of department, yellow for assistants, green for general scientists, blue for experienced workers, and purple for those who had no idea what they were doing. Should there be an emergency, Wu had told them that the staff from yellow to red were the most trustworthy consultants, though that didn't mean a whole lot coming from InGen. Still, they had improved upon security, which was interesting. Within a few years, the park had gone from Disneyland to Alcatraz.

". . . I'm not saying they should put a censor bar over its head or anything, but maybe they could give it a hat or something . . ." Ian babbled.

"Tsintaosaurus?" Ellie asked, having not heard the beginning of the conversation. Alan nodded.

"See, see, I made it better!" Ian said, pointing at a crudely-drawn party hat that he had scribbled on the skeletal image.

"You _do_ know that the actual dinosaur had a full crest, Ian?"

"Yeah, but would you look at that bone?"

Alan rolled his eyes.

"At least he's learned how to pronounce their names," he huffed.

Ian beamed.

"I have! And- and! I haven't said 'uh'- That one doesn't count- for at least fifteen minutes."

"Give it time, Ian."

"Aw, come on. You just don't like being wrong. It's, uh- OH! I mean, uh . . . goddamnit!"

Ellie began to laugh hysterically. The others joined in, and they became so enthusiastic that a group of scientists turned to see what all the fuss was about. Soon, they realized how ridiculous they sounded and laughed even more.

"I'm glad to see that you're enjoying yourselves."

Ellie, who had not heard Wu arrive, jumped in surprise. Alan and Ian settled down to hear what he had to say. He placed a set of keys on the glass table with a messy 'klink'.

"We have prepared your rooms in our guest hotel. There are two spare keys, just in case. You'll be next-door to each other in rooms 1905 and 1906. Your luggage has been sent up to the ninth floor, but you may choose your rooms when you arrive."

"Do you have cable?" Ian joked.

"As a matter of fact, we do. Our telecommunications center is still fully functional, as our guest housing was always top priority . . . next to the attractions, of course."

"Spared no expense," Alan sighed dismally.

On their way out of the restaurant, they passed the blonde scientist's table. The bambiraptors were long gone, and her supervisor didn't seem too pleased with her behavior. She poked and prodded at her food like a child who had just been punished, glaring at her boss whenever he looked away. From what Ellie had heard, InGen hadn't always hired the most reliable staff members. Aside from basic incompetence, there was always the issue of ethics in a tense situation. It wasn't easy to set a moral code for an entire corporation, and dissidence was bound to be a problem if they didn't keep a close eye on their employees. Hammond had even admitted to hiring some less-than-trustworthy personnel, though he never went into detail when discussing such things.

Ellie frowned. A strange thought was beginning to surface, and she didn't like the implications one bit. Hammond hadn't contacted them before the trip, which seemed unusual . . . even suspicious. Although Hammond didn't always pre-announce his visits, he had never delegated the job to some bioengineer whom they didn't know well. Hammond had always been a strong believer in personal relations, and this whole situation seemed quite the opposite. The more Ellie thought about it, the more she began to worry. Wu hadn't so much as mentioned Hammond . . . No, that wasn't true. He had said that he wasn't feeling well, hadn't he? If Hammond was really sick, wouldn't he at least call them to make sure that they knew how to proceed with his affiliates?

Ellie struggled to remember Wu's exact words, but she had been so overwhelmed by their predicament that she hadn't paid attention to his phrasing. She would have to ask Alan about it later. Then there was the issue of the mysterious paper . . .

This deal was getting worse all the time.

_***TSJPFEW***_

When they stepped out of the elevator, the trio found that their rooms were not too far from the floor's lounge. Ellie and Alan noticed their luggage waiting by the door. Ian, who had obviously been notified about the voyage ahead of time, had packed more appropriately for the trip. He lent them a can of bug-spray and some rope. They didn't ask what the rope was for: Ian worked in mysterious ways. After a brief farewell, they split up to examine their rooms.

Ellie and Alan's room was massive. Aside from the king-sized bed, KW-3200HD television set, and crimson sofa, there was a bathroom large enough to house an elk and a patio with a gorgeous view of the island. The decor seemed to have a prominent prehistoric theme (appropriate, given the nature of the park). The walls were lined with faint silhouettes of dinosaurs, and the carpet was no different. The bedside table had ornately-carved vermiform plants as supports, ending in twirling ferns and blossoms. The real eye-grabber, however, was the oil painting above the sofa. It depicted a fight between a T-Rex and a triceratops on volcanic terrain. The triceratops was frozen in mid-scream as the tyrannosaurus mauled its shoulder, leaving red striations along its back.

"That's comforting," Ellie remarked.

Shortly after they finished unpacking, there was a knock at the connecting door, followed by a sporadic drum solo.

"I'll get it," Ellie volunteered. When she opened the door, Ian strode into their room and looked around.

"Wow, I think your room might be nicer than mine. Wanna trade? I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Have you checked out the bathroom yet? I got free shampoo."

"Very nice, Ian. What are you doing over here?" Alan huffed.

"Can't a neighbor visit once in a while?" he asked with a smirk, "I thought you guys might want to head to the lounge for a bit. We could watch tv, have a drink, regale each other with tales of yore . . ."

"Not now, thanks," Alan said dismissively.

"Aw, come on. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Maybe some other time, Ian," Ellie added apologetically, "We're a bit jet-lagged."

"Alright, alright," he said, holding up his hands defensively, "Do what you want. Just remember: if you need anything, I'm here."

"Thank you, Ian," Alan rasped as he pushed him towards the door, "We'll keep that in mind."

He shut the door firmly once Ian was through and exhaled deeply. Ellie was relieved that Ian had not persisted in his suggestion of a slumber-party escapade, though she felt guilty for turning him down. Ian was very keen to socialize, which put the three of them in an uncomfortable situation. If Alan and Ian were left to their own devices, Ellie didn't believe that they'd get along too well, yet if she were to join Ian without Alan, he would most likely feel neglected, maybe even jealous. Unless they could find the time to remain a trio for the majority of the trip, someone was bound to be left behind. It was like the old river-crossing riddle, only there was no farmer to keep the goose company in the rowboat while the fox waited with the bag of beans. It was clear that no one wanted to be the third wheel of the group, especially in such a dangerous and unfamiliar place, but (considering her current relationship with Alan) it was easy to predict who that third wheel would be. In any case, they would have to deal with the issue later.

Alan lifted his suitcase off the sofa and rolled it out of the way.

"I think I'll shower before bed. You want to go first?" he asked. Ellie shook her head.

"I can wait," she said, sliding the patio door open with a hiss, "I ought to catch up on a bit of reading, anyway."

She wasn't lying, but she wasn't exactly telling the whole truth either. Earlier that evening, Ellie had volunteered to take up "folding duty" instead of unpacking (laundry had never been one of Alan's strong suits, so he didn't mind). This meant that, thanks to her pickpocketing skills, she now possessed the mysterious letter.

Although she was ashamed of her lapse in integrity, she knew that this was the safest way to deal with the situation. If they were truly a team (and they were), there was no reason to keep important information from her. Then again, her little heist was even less forgivable on that front. Ellie gulped nervously. It was too late to back down now. Once she heard running water, Ellie quickly opened the letter (which was addressed to Alan) and began to read.

_We regret to inform you that you are the carrier of a potentially harmful virus. Due to repeated physical contact with the facility's livestock, it is highly probable that the virus has been transmitted to yourself and other individuals who were directly exposed to the animals at the time of their decampment. As such, it is imperative that further diagnostic measures are put into effect, given the nature of the virus. While there is no proven danger for yourself or Mr. Malcolm, your associate, Dr. Sattler, is at high risk. _

Ellie felt her pulse quicken. She continued reading.

_The effects of the virus are typically observed in mature females under 51 years of age and, due to Dr. Sattler's close proximity to the nuclear fission plant beneath the island, her affliction is considered to be in the highest possible class of contamination. As such, the virus is unpredictable-_

With this, Ellie lowered the page. She didn't need to know anymore, and she wished she hadn't read it in the first place. She was about to put it away, but she remembered the handwritten text on the back. She flipped the page, unaware that the shower was no longer running.

Ellie had skimmed over most of the writing when she heard the door click. She realized too late that there was nowhere to hide the note on the unfurnished patio, so she shoved it into her pocket just as Alan stepped out of the bathroom. He didn't seem to notice her distress right away, and she quickly dried her eyes before turning to greet him. She was still shaking when she closed the patio door behind her.

_***TSJPFEW***_

Later that night, Ellie dreamed that her friends were trapped in a tour van beside the tyrannosaur enclosure. She watched in horror as the beast escaped once more, sniffing its way around the crag and, by extension, the motionless car. Ellie tried to run toward the vehicle, but her feet were bolted to the ground. She could hear Alan and Ian shouting as the monster approached them. She turned her head just as the creature pushed the jeep over the cliff, sobbing frantically as her friends crashed into the canopy below. When she looked up, she came face-to-face with the mysterious pteranodon. Before she could react, it evaporated into a cloud of humming mosquitoes. They swarmed her, and-

_***TSJPFEW***_

Ellie stumbled out of bed. She could tell that she was going to be sick, and she didn't want to vomit on the carpeted floor. To find her way in the dark room, Ellie slid her fingertips across the wall, trying to suppress her queasiness all the while. Once she opened the bathroom door, Ellie padded barefoot across the cold tiles and fell to her knees. She slammed the toilet lid open and threw up.

The noise woke Alan, who rushed to her aid. He held her hair while she convulsed, spewing putrid acid into the bowl. Once she calmed down, Ellie urged Alan to go back to sleep. He was reluctant, but she managed to convince him that it was probably a minor case of food poisoning. Too tired to press the issue further, Alan lumbered out of the bathroom and went back to sleep. Before joining him, Ellie brushed her teeth to rinse out the wretched taste. The water seemed sickeningly sweet after the sting of vomit, and she was slightly revolted by the minty flavor of her toothpaste. She had to stop herself from gagging, as she didn't want to risk another puking spell.

When she finally slid back under the covers, Alan asked once again if she was alright. She told him that she was fine. In reality, she was quite the opposite. Although she wanted to share her feelings with Alan, it was impossible to do so without blatantly stating that she had deliberately gone behind his back to seek out information that had been purposefully withheld from her. Now she knew why.

Ellie wasn't troubled by the fact that she was ill. Even though her situation sounded dire, she couldn't care less about this unknown virus and its effects. What _really_ troubled her was the pretense that had been used to lure her to the island. She had been led to believe that Alan and Ian were in peril, but it simply wasn't true . . .

Ellie rolled over to face the bedside table. The gentle glow of moonlight filtered through a glass of water, illuminating the wooden surface with crystalline patterns. She slowly rotated the glass with one hand, creating a silvery kaleidoscope on the wall. She dipped her index finger into the water absent-mindedly and placed a drop of water on the back of her other hand. It rolled off the thumb, landing on the carpet below.

What was she to do, now that she fully understood InGen's intentions? She couldn't let the others waste their time on the island . . . could she? No. It would be selfish to make them stay. It was _her_ fault that they had been dragged back to this god-forsaken theme park in the first place. The last thing she wanted was their blood on her hands if something went awry. She would have to tell Alan that she had read the note.

Then again, would he really leave her alone in such a strange place? The scribed dialogue didn't seem to point either way.

_If Ellie's in danger, why did you have to bring us along?_

_We couldn't allow her to refuse our offer. As long as we lead her to believe that you are here by necessity, she will follow your example._

But it wasn't true! Ellie would have listened to Wu if he'd asked her to go alone. His excuse was ridiculous!

_Besides, we couldn't risk any legal attention. As long as you know exactly what's going on, you will have no reason to worry._

Again, Ellie could have convinced Alan to keep quiet, especially if the alternative was bringing him to the island. Why didn't anyone trust her? And why was it so important for Alan to know that she was safe (aside from the obvious reason, of course)?

Ellie thought back to all of the would-be slip-ups that she had prevented. Maybe Alan wasn't entirely competent in the pact-of-nondisclosure realm. Even so, she couldn't allow him to stay on her behalf. Unfortunately, it was possible that he had already decided to stick it out. Ian, however, might be persuaded to leave.

Ellie closed her eyes. One final question was burning in her mind, and it frightened her more than anything else in the world. Alan and Wu had ended their conversation on an ominous note, and the implications haunted Ellie to no end. She sat up in bed and reached under the mattress to retrieve the newly-hidden note. By now, Alan had probably noticed that it was missing, and it would be foolish to have it "magically reappear" in his pocket.

When she was sure that he was deeply asleep, Ellie unfolded the paper as quietly as possible. The ambiguity of Wu's words was menacing, to say the least, but they implied so much more than what was written.

She scanned the letter once or twice, then wedged it under the bed frame with a sense of finality. Whatever the case may be, it was entirely up to her to resolve it. Until she was ready to make a decision, those final words would have to wait. But what would she do until then? There was probably nothing she _could_ do to remedy the situation. She would have to wait and see . . .

Despite everything, falling asleep was easy for Ellie. She dozed off gently, and if she dreamed again that night, she certainly didn't show it, even when it began to thunder outside. She slept through the chirping of the insects and hooting of the howler monkeys, she was unfazed by the wind that parted the grassy fields and the rain that rattled the palm trees . . . 

Most importantly, she remained blissfully unaware of the silent shadow that crept along the rim of the balcony, watching her as she lay sleeping. 

Between flashes of distant lightning, the figure opened the patio door with its long, hooked claws and stepped into the room. Had she been awake, Ellie might have noticed that the silhouette of the specter was not humanoid in the slightest. It was bird-shaped, and yet, it was too large to be an eagle and too small to be anything else. It bobbed its head as it crossed the room, stepping delicately over the loose items scattered across the floor. It paused when it saw a note tucked under the bed. Plucking it away with its mouth, the creature stared at the sheet with wide, unblinking eyes. One might have sworn that it was reading the note, and something in its posture seemed to confirm this ludicrous notion. Suddenly, its pupils began to glow with an eerie white light, illuminating its reptilian visage in an unsettling way. Its head was wide, with a flat, diamond-shaped snout and two slits for nostrils. Along its lips, tiny teeth jutted out in neat rows, curving up in a sort of sinister smile.

The intruder froze momentarily, but broke out of its trance when one of the sleeping humans began to shift in bed. The creature dimmed its eyes, tucked the note into its resting place, and bolted out the door. As it climbed down the drainpipe on the hotel wall, the final words of the letter rang through its head.

_How long will we have to stay?  
><em>

_For however long it takes. _

_How long will THAT be?_

_You won't be leaving any time soon._

The creature chuckled.

Oh, how right he was.


	4. Conflict

The morning after Ellie's sick spell was unpleasant, to say the least. After waking up to the sound of heavy machinery, she found that the maintenance crew had decided that seven o'clock was an ideal time to repair the overgrown courtyard. The metallic racket was crisp and clear, mostly because of the amplifying effect of the concrete by the open patio door (which was odd: hadn't she closed it the night before?). Through the shrill beep of a reversing truck, Ellie could hear a man yelling at the top of his lungs. She got out of bed to examine the situation.

After nearly tripping over a stray belt (she would have to chastise Alan for that later), she stepped out onto the patio, which was still slick with rainwater. From the edge of the balcony, Ellie could see the construction crew working directly beneath her, including the angry man, who looked like he had come straight out of a war movie. Although he was wearing casual attire, his flaxen buzz cut and sharp features gave him a military air, and his enthusiastic shouting only reinforced the image. Had she been any closer, Ellie might have expected him to be wearing a dog tag.

As he barked at his coworkers, the man began to throw his arms in the air, and it wasn't long before he turned beet-red. It was difficult to make out exactly what he was saying, but it was clear that he was directing most of his anger at one specific person. By some odd coincidence (or perhaps a predictable misstep), the victim of his invective just so happened to be the blonde scientist. After eavesdropping for a few minutes, Ellie gleaned some interesting information.

The woman, whose last name was either Kavelbronsky or Koborovski (the man used both), had taken issue with the uncovered pool, as several small dinosaurs were suffering from chlorine poisoning after drinking the unsupervised water. This had resulted in a fit of name-calling (i.e. hippie, beatnik), and eventually, a shouting contest. Clearly, the man (Yannick, apparently) didn't fully agree with her viewpoints. He was glad to be rid of the "little pests", as he put it, and he even went so far as to suggest a cull. This evolved into a full-fledged argument about their role in the ecosystem and, for a scientist who had been caught feeding the dinosaurs the previous day, the blonde woman seemed to be totally against human intervention. She backed down, however, when Yannick threatened to call her supervisor.

It was a disconcerting finale, and Ellie sensed that the debate was far from over. Either way, it didn't concern her. Besides, she had had _far _too much experience with opposing ideologies during her last visit. There was no need to get involved again.

When Ellie reentered the bedroom (making sure to close the door tightly this time), Alan began to wake up. He had never been a morning person like Ellie, and the jet lag wasn't doing him any favors. It took him three tries to reach his watch on the bedside table, and putting it on was nothing short of a struggle. The state of his motor coordination indicated that his cerebellum had turned to silly putty. His eyes opened and closed independently of each other, mostly half-lidded, though he would sometimes raise an eyebrow to compensate. He was quite amusing to watch, but Ellie felt badly about waking him up in the middle of the night. It was hard to be quiet while spewing like a super-soaker.

As Alan stepped out of bed, Ellie began to dress. Now that they were both awake, she wanted to be ready by eight. The physical exam and inoculation session would begin at nine, which would give them enough time for breakfast beforehand. Of course, they would have to wait for Ian . . .

Right on cue, there was a crash in the other room, followed by a muffled stream of obscenity.

"Good morning, Ian," Alan shouted sarcastically.

"Oh, shit. Did I wake you guys up?" he replied through the door.

"Oh, no. Don't worry about it. We were already awake. Are you okay?" Ellie asked.

"Yeah, but I think the lamp is in critical condition. Is yours shaped like a brontosaurus too?"

"Apatosaurus," Ellie and Alan chimed in simultaneously.

"Same thing."

"It really isn't," Alan said, opening the connecting door.

Over Alan's shoulder, Ellie could see the lamp lying on the ground, broken beyond repair. Ian (who was dressed in an unflattering pair of striped pajamas) was dragging the waste basket across the floor. Ellie and Alan volunteered to help him clean up the scene of the crime.

As they swept up the jagged porcelain fragments, there was a knock at the door. Ellie stood up to answer it. She found Wu standing in the hallway with a clipboard under his arm and a pleasant smile upon his face.

"Good morning, Dr. Sattler," he said, bowing his head slightly.

"And to you too, Dr. Wu," Ellie replied.

"Are you ready for breakfast?"

"Actually, we were just about to leave."

She looked over her shoulder to assess the cleanup progress. There was still a thin layer of powder on the carpet, and the men were doing a terrible job of rubbing it out.

"Um, we need to stay a little longer, I think. You see, the lamp-"

"Gorgeous, aren't they? Each one is hand-painted by members of the local Bribri tribe. They cost us quite a bundle."

"Did they?" Ellie asked with a wobble in her voice.

"Oh, yes. Now, are you ready to come downstairs, or shall we wait until-"

"Breakfast sounds nice, actually," Ellie said hurriedly as she blocked his view. "Why don't you walk me down? We'll let the others catch up later."

She guided Wu away from the doorway, smiling anxiously at Alan, who nodded and went back to work.

_***TSJPFEW***_

As Ellie followed Wu down the hallway, she began to regret her decision to leave the group. Wu wasn't a very talkative host, and he walked so briskly that Ellie had to hop slightly to keep up. Although she considered asking him about the virus or the park, Ellie figured her situation didn't need the extra level of awkwardness. She kept her eyes to the ground and trailed behind him submissively, tracing the carpet's design in her mind's eye.

As they approached the elevators, Wu rounded the corner sharply, walking straight into a frazzled scientist. By a matter of extraordinary coincidence, it happened to be the blonde woman. She noticed that Wu had dropped his clipboard and bent over to pick it up. Unfortunately, she grabbed it by the top of the clip. As she held it out to him, the papers slid to the floor in a messy heap. She froze, and her eyes darted back and forth nervously.

"Please don't fire me," she said simply.

Wu rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to fire you, Robin, but I think it would be best if you stayed out of the way for a bit. We have a guest."

"Who? Oh, is this the plant lady?"

"Paleobotanist. Ellie Sattler."

Ellie smiled and prepared to greet the scientist.

"Right, right," she said, ignoring Ellie's extended hand, "Listen, while you're here, can I ask you a favor?"

"What kind of favor?"

Robin tucked a curl of hair behind her ear and shifted her weight nervously.

"It's about Yannick-"

"Listen, Robin, we can't do anything about his attitude-"

"No, no, it's nothing like that!"

"Whatever it is, it will have to wait-"

"I promise it won't take long!"

Wu rubbed his temples.

"Fine, go ahead," he said, waving his hand half-heartedly.

"He keeps getting my name wrong."

"And?"

"And we've been working together for almost five years! He's been calling me Kittlaussiri, Kolodinsky, Kephalonomancy . . ."

"Well, what's your real name?" Ellie offered.

"Smith."

Wu exhaled calmly.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do. Just try not to cause any trouble, okay?"

"What if-"

He pointed at her aggressively.

"No. Trouble."

She sniffed with indignation.

"Fine," Robin muttered, "It was nice meeting you, Dr. Sattler."

Ellie watched in silence as she stormed off. Wu turned to her and smiled.

"I apologize for Dr. Smith's misconduct. She doesn't always get along with our head engineer. I would have laid them off long ago, but they seem to work well individually."

As they began their descent in the elevator, Wu continued to excuse the poor behavior of his staff. The more he tried to justify their actions, the more Ellie began to worry. It was clear that Jurassic Park was still operating on a secretive, irresponsible, uncontrolled platform, but things had gotten much worse. Despite the extra security, some of the overlooked details did not sit right with Ellie.

Apparently, Wu was now the highest authority on site, which explained the ways in which he was addressed by fellow employees. It was reasonable to assume that Hammond was either busy with paperwork or, as Wu had said, too sick to run the park, but Ellie couldn't fully accept that explanation. There was a big difference between classified information and outright lies, and she had been purposefully misled by Wu and his associates. Something was _deeply_ wrong with this scenario.

Wu exited the elevator and marched across the hotel lobby with Ellie following close behind. There were no distinctly hotel-ish staff present (except for a maid or two), but the necessary roles seemed to have been taken up by the trademark employees. The reception desk, however, was unmanned, and the guest services booth was no different. Aside from a few employees who had made the hotel their temporary abode, Ellie and her companions were the only guests on site.

With this, another inconsistency popped into mind. If there was no need to satisfy tourists, why would the construction crew be sent to repair the pool area? In her mind's eye, Ellie pictured the scene from earlier that morning. From a distance, it was difficult to get a sense of the general project (and she hadn't been paying much attention to the workers anyway), but it was clear that the area had nothing to do with research or security. On top of that, the pool was still functional. If the water was indeed chlorinated, someone _must_ be using the facility on a regular basis. She wondered who it might be . . .

Maybe she could ask Wu. There was no obvious risk associated with that particular question, was there?

"Dr. Wu-"

"Henry."

"Okay, er, Henry. I noticed that some of your personnel are working around the pool area. Is it being used by anyone in particular?"

Wu smiled.

"You're free to take a swim, if that's what you're asking."

"Oh, uh- Actually, I was just wondering why it's being repaired," she stuttered.

"We keep the recreational facilities in good condition for staff use," he explained with a hint of uncertainty.

They were outside the hotel now, and Ellie could feel the pebbles crunching beneath her shoes as they walked down the dirt pathway towards the Visitors' Center. The building was barely visible beneath the dense foliage, which had grown taller during Ellie's absence. The conical rooftops hardly peeked over the canopy, and their beige tint was the only distinct feature that separated them from the living plants. The jungle was beginning to overtake InGen's infrastructure, it seemed.

Wu slowed down.

"Dr. Sattler-"

"Ellie."

"Fair enough. Ellie, I know this is a lot to take in, especially after so long . . . Forgive me for being so vague, but-"

He stopped walking.

"Is something wrong?"

Wu shook his head.

"No, not entirely . . . I just- Listen, you aren't going to like what I have to say. I can't even begin to imagine how much you must loathe this place, but . . . our investors still hope to see the park up and running."

He waited for her reaction, but she didn't provide any visible change in posture.

"Are you upset? . . ." he prompted.

Was she? It was difficult to describe what she felt.

"No, I'm not upset," she began, "I'm just . . . confused. I don't know how you plan to run a place like this, not when everything looks like a high-security prison. It seems to me that your staff are not properly coordinated, and with this whole virus issue . . . I just don't understand."

Wu listened patiently. Ellie wasn't sure that he knew how to answer her questions, let alone provide a reasonable excuse for the park's reconstruction. He frowned thoughtfully and fiddled with his clipboard. Ellie guessed that he was deciding how much information he could disclose in her presence. She hoped that he would decide to tell her the whole story, but she expected nothing more than another vague response.

Finally, he raised his eyebrows and spoke calmly.

"The virus shouldn't be a problem. We're well on our way to achieving total control of its properties, which will be immensely beneficial to our cause. As for the threat of another incident . . . Well, we've taken every precaution to ensure that we are prepared if something drastic should occur."

Wu changed his tone of voice. He seemed pensive. Dazed, even.

"The real problem the first time around was the unpredictability of carnivorous theropods, you see. Aside from a few minor issues with the herbivores, most of our trouble was predator-related. I strongly believe that we can control them with the help of this virus-"

Okay, _now_ she was upset.

"Nothing's changed, has it?" she asked with disbelief, "You're still obsessed with control, but you can't possibly suppress the instincts of living organisms, and especially not the carnivores, of all things!"

"We won't have to."

"How can you possibly-"

Wu put his hands on Ellie's shoulders. She flinched, but he didn't seem to care.

"Dr. Sattler . . . Ellie . . . you're going to have to trust me. There is a way to make this work. It wouldn't be wise to tell you what I have planned- Well, not yet, anyway- but you'll see . . . I have everything under control."

Ellie began to refute Wu's callow assertions, but she quickly lowered her voice when she noticed Alan and Ian strolling down the road. Once again, she would have to push this conversation to the side, along with all of the other problems she hadn't yet resolved.

So much for her managerial skills.

Still, before the day was through, Ellie was determined to at least speak with Ian about leaving the island. Once she had dealt with _that_, she had a new objective to pursue. With so many questions left unanswered, there was only one person whom Ellie could rely upon. If Wu wasn't going to help her, she would have to pull out the big guns. 

Ellie was going to contact John Hammond.

_***TSJPFEW***_

As soon as they finished breakfast, Ellie struggled to find the time to be alone but, try as she might, it seemed impossible. The group headed straight for the clinic after their meal, and there was no time to dawdle when they arrived. After filling out a myriad of forms, they were inoculated with a rather painful syringe to immunize themselves against dinosaur venom. The saggy-faced nurse tried to catch Ellie off guard by counting to two instead of three, but it only made her arm tense up at the unexpected contact. The pressure was hard to take, but it didn't last long.

As she drew the needle from Ellie's arm, the nurse handed her a cotton ball to soak up the blood. Ellie pressed it gingerly against her skin and hobbled over to Ian, who was sitting dejectedly in the corner with a cotton ball of his own.

"Did she trick you too?" he asked sardonically.

Ellie nodded.

"Yeah, I hate it when they do that. It's_ dishonest_, is what it is."

Ellie gave a noncommittal hum.

"You okay?"

"I read the letter."

She didn't mean to blurt it out so suddenly, but there it was. Ian was temporarily caught off guard by her bluntness. There was no doubt, however, that he knew _exactly_ what she was talking about.

"Did Alan-"

"No," she said tersely, "He didn't."

Ian nodded and ran his fingers through his hair. Ellie took a deep breath and went on.

"Look, it doesn't matter what the two of you decided. I know about it now, and that's the end of it."

"But we-"

"Ian, please! Just listen, okay? This is important."

Ellie tried desperately to keep her voice from breaking, but she could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke. Seeing her distress, Ian made no further attempt to interrupt her. He slumped back into his chair and listened patiently.

"You . . . You don't have to be here. I don't want to make you stay. It's- it's not fair."

Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hold back the tears. Once the first drop slid down her cheek, it was game over. Ellie could hear her voice quivering, but she went on nonetheless.

"You should be at home with your friends and- and your family . . . Go home, Ian. This is the worst place to be."

When it became clear that she couldn't go on, Ian dropped his cotton ball and looked her straight in the eyes. Ellie had never seen him look sincere before, yet he was presently showing no signs of sarcasm or disdain. It was quite alarming.

"Hey, don't you worry about me," he said gently, "I'm already _with_ my friends, and I'm not leaving either of you alone on this island."

"I can't let you do that," Ellie sniffed.

"Well, it's a good thing I'm not giving you a choice, then," Ian replied stubbornly.

Before she could protest, Ian reverted back to his regular posture and crossed his legs.

"Besides, I get a free vacation out of this. I'm not about to pass up the opportunity to enjoy an all-inclusive hotel."

It wasn't a particularly funny quip, even by Ian's standards, but Ellie found herself laughing through her tears. She laughed even harder when they attempted a bear-hug, only to find that their arms were still very sore from the vaccine.

Alan, who had just finished with the nurse, lumbered away from the table, rubbing his arm humbly. When Ellie waved him over, he saw that her eyes were red and puffy.

"Oh, Ellie! Are you hurt? Did the nurse-"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she said, laughing, "I'm just a little . . . hormonal."

He didn't ask any more questions after that.

_***TSJPFEW***_

After being dragged around the health center for an hour or two, Ellie finally found her chance to break away from the group. While Alan and Ian were busy with their physical examination, she asked the nurse where to find the closest pay phones. She snuck out of the room and placed a call with the emergency contact number that Hammond had given her many months before. It wasn't the first time she had used it, in fact, she practically knew the number by heart. It was a good thing too, or else she would have been hooped in this particular situation.

Ellie lifted the phone to her ear, twirling the cord with one finger. She glanced at the clinic door every few seconds to make sure that she was not being followed. No one seemed to notice that she was missing. Odd.

After a few dial tones, Ellie heard a familiar voice through mild static.

"Hello?"

"Hi, John! It's me: Ellie."

"Oh, hello, my dear! It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Are you well?" he barked jovially.

Ellie was no medical doctor, but she thought that Hammond sounded awfully energetic for an ailing man.

"I'm . . . fine. But I heard you were sick . . ." she prompted.

"Sick? No, far from it. Who told you I was sick?" he asked, puzzled.

Ellie paused. Was it wise to tell Hammond that his head bioengineer had lied to her?

"Well, um . . . I don't remember who it was, exactly. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about this virus everyone's been telling me about-"

"Ah, yes. I thought you might be aware of it by now. You needn't worry. As long as you avoid strong electrical stimulation- and I don't think you'll have a problem with that, being the clever girl you are- you won't show any symptoms."

"How do I know I'm not _already_ showing symptoms?"

Hammond laughed heartily.

"Trust me: you'd know it, if you were."

Ellie bit her lip.

"You'll be fine, I promise," he said, softening his voice, "However, if you're _really _concerned, we could have you looked at by professionals. I know a handful of reliable doctors who can fully diagnose you- confidentially, of course, if you don't mind . . ."

"Really? That'd be great!" Ellie said brightly, "I would _love_ to have a professional opinion, if that's alright with you. Just between you and me, I don't think the nurse here knows what she's doing."

Hammond paused.

"What nurse? . . . Are you at a hospital?"

"Yes- Well, no. It's really more of a clinic . . . Hang on . . . Shouldn't you _know_ all of this?"

"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about, my dear."

Ellie froze.

"John . . . Did you send Henry Wu to speak with us?"

"Henry Wu? No, no, of course not. I couldn't send him if I wanted to."

Ellie's hand began to tremble.

"What do you mean? Why couldn't you send him, John?"

"Well, it's hardly my jurisdiction now," he said dolefully.

"Why not?"

"Wh- Didn't you get my letter? I thought- Oh, never mind. It's better I tell you over the phone, I suppose."

"Tell me? Tell me what?"

"Well, as of last week, I no longer own Jurassic Park."

_***TSJPFEW***_

Ian Malcolm stepped onto the Health-o-meter scale and watched as the nurse slid two bobbles across the pole. When she was satisfied with her measurements, she grunted and wrote something down on her clipboard.

"One hundred and forty-five pounds," she announced unenthusiastically. Ian winced and rubbed the back of his neck. This was bad news.

Ian had lost a significant amount of weight over the last few months, and it was beginning to show. He'd even venture that he had dropped almost twenty pounds in two years, roughly speaking. Although he had packed on a bit of weight during his initial recovery (T-Rex bites didn't heal overnight, after all), his second year on the mainland had been particularly harrowing, to say the least. Ever since he had infringed the nondisclosure agreement (a fact that he had neglected to tell Ellie, for obvious reasons), InGen had been furiously undermining his attempts to reveal the true nature of the Isla Nublar incident. First, they took his public credibility. Next, they took his post at U of T. Finally, they took what was left of his reputation and crushed it like a . . . like a . . . 

Like a brontosaurus lamp. 

Because of his constant head-butting with InGen, Ian had a decent understanding of the series of events that had taken place after the disaster. Although Hammond had convinced the government to spare the island from military destruction, his obsession with secrecy had cost him his company. Without the support of his former investors, Hammond had no hope of salvaging the park, and he wasn't keen to tell anyone else about the "local wildlife", as it were. At the peak of their financial entanglements, the company had almost been bought out by Biosyn, but they had bounced back just in time. Well, it was less "bouncing back" and more "delaying the inevitable". There was no doubt that InGen would eventually be forced to shut down, especially if they continued to knit their web of lies.

Based on his observations, Ian suspected that Alan and Ellie knew even less about this whole operation than he did, and that was saying a lot. If he had to guess, he'd say that they didn't even know that Peter Ludlow was the new proprietor of InGen.

At least they were on good terms with Hammond.

That had to count for something, right?

To be honest, as much as Ian disagreed with Hammond's principles, he couldn't deny that the man was (at least) emotionally invested in his work. The problem with Ludlow was that he had no sentimentality to balance his entrepreneurial ambition. Ludlow's so-called "promotion" was the direct result of a long history with InGen, though he hadn't tried to (openly) overthrow his uncle until very recently. Ian was all too familiar with the man; he had been at the helm of the S.S. Let's-Destroy-Ian-Malcolm ship. For this reason, Ian now hoped to prove himself sane by gathering evidence on the island. Security was tight, however, and it was beginning to look like a lost cause.

If there was one scrap of consolation to be found in all of this, it was that Ludlow's power over the island was limited. Although he held the metaphorical deed to the park, he didn't have any say in how it would be run. Unfortunately, Ian had caught wind of a rumor that told of another piece of property that may be in his jurisdiction, though he couldn't imagine what it might be. He hoped to god that it wasn't another dinosaur island.

Whatever the case may be, Wu was Top Dog on Isla Nublar now, and nobody was about to replace him.

Without warning, Ellie burst through the clinic door. She looked so incredibly panicked that Ian's first thought was that she had encountered a wild dinosaur.

"Alan, Ian, we're leaving. Now!" she shouted, grabbing them by the arms.

"What's going on? We're not ready to leave!" Alan protested.

"There's no time to argue! We've been lied to! We need to find Wu!"

Alan's eyes went wide.

"You know about the disease, don't you?"

"No! Well, yes. But this is something different, something _worse_."

"Hang on, just calm down," Ian said, holding up his palms defensively, "What are you talking about?"

"John Hammond doesn't own the park anymore. InGen has been taken over by his nephew, P-"

"Peter Ludlow. Yeah, got it. Is that all?"

By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.

"You KNEW?" Ellie shrieked.

"Well, uh . . ."

"What's she talking about, Ian?" Alan asked darkly.

"Well, I knew, but I didn't think it was important!"

"_Of course_ it's important! How could it _not_ be important?!" Ellie spat.

"Calm down, Ellie, it's not Ian's fault."

"There, you see?" Ian said, pointing at Alan with both hands, "_He_ gets it."

"He can't help it if he's a total moron," Alan finished.

"WHAT?"

"Oh, don't you go acting all high-and-mighty! _You're_ the one who refused to tell me that I could have gone alone!" Ellie snapped.

The nurse, who had been watching their argument with confusion, waddled out of the room to find reinforcements.

"I didn't want you to get hurt . . ."

"I don't _need _your protection, Alan! I'm not just your sidekick, you know! I'm a _real_ person, with _real _credentials!"

"I never said-"

"You don't _need _to say anything! I know what people think of me! Nobody cares about the stupid little paleobotanist who works with the 'almighty' Dr. Grant! It's not like we ever agreed to be a _team_ or anything . . . RIGHT?!"

"Will you two stop arguing?" Ian groaned, "Yes, we lied to each other, but now we're on the same level."

"Oh, shut up, Ian! You don't have a real career either!" Ellie barked.

Ian was starting to lose it.

"Well, not anymore, thanks to you guys! Remember when I asked you to back me up if I ever told anyone about Jurassic Park? Well, guess what: I did it anyway! So now we all know that Ellie's sick, InGen is owned by some Randy, and Ian Malcolm is a laughingstock! Am I forgetting anything?"

"You broke your nondisclosure agreement?" Alan gasped.

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well, that's not _our_ fault, Ian!" Ellie snapped, "We thought you were just kidding around! You know why? BECAUSE YOU TREAT EVERYTHING LIKE IT'S A JOKE!"

"You want a joke? Here's a good one! What do you call a temperamental paleobotanist who has no sense of humor?"

"Ian, don't you dare . . ." Alan growled threateningly.

"Sattler-nine!"

"Alright, break it up, all of you!" shouted an unfamiliar voice.

The nurse had returned with a burly blonde man and a female scientist. They didn't look happy.

"As a fully certified employee of InGen, I must insist-"

"Shut up, Robin!"

"Why don't YOU shut up, you big buffoon!"

"Wench!"

"Fascist!"

And with that, the room erupted into chaos.

While the trio continued to argue, Robin and the burly man wrestled on the floor, shouting insults as they slapped each other into oblivion. The nurse was rocking back and forth in the corner, hugging her knees and praying in Spanish. The volume continued to rise, as did the arm-gnawing and hair-pulling.

"I'll kill you, you tree-hugger!"

"Eat my fist, you knock-kneed charlatan!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Ellie, I thought you were perfectly fine!"

"Do I LOOK fine?!"

"Dios mío, líbrame de esta gente loca . . ."

"-waiting to have children, but it's been two years-"

"Fetid crumbum!"

"-under a lot of stress, it's not my fault-"

"CRAP-WEASEL!"

"POOP-RAT!"

"-poseídos por espíritus malignos-"

"-lost my job, but you're still working-"

"GARBAGE-BREATH!"

"-lied to me, you're no better than InGen-"

"LET GO OF MY LEG!"

"Forget it! I'm not putting up with another-"

"Oh, Dios! Ella está mordiendo la rodilla de ese hombre!"

"That's my elbow, you wh-"

"-stupid chaos theory-"

"OUCH!"

"You fight like a girl!"

"I AM a girl! You fight-"

"You know, if we can't even-"

"-dejar de luchar-"

"-like a bunch of schoolgirls-"

"-maybe it's best if we just-"

"-split up!"

And in that moment, everything seemed to freeze in a tableau of epiphanic shock. The wrestling scientists screeched to a halt, the nurse started to cry, Ellie and Alan glared at each other hatefully, and Ian gave up his peacekeeping endeavors.

Then, one by one, they began to realize the severity of their situation.

Robin, who had been strangling the engineer with an IV cord, jumped away from the machine in fear, shivering at the horror of what she had done. After a minute, the man stood up dizzily and wiped his bloody nose. Once they were both on their feet, they backed away from each other slowly, panting like wolves. After exchanging one last fiery scowl, they retreated to two separate doors, closing them simultaneously. After a second, Robin reopened the door to the supply closet and found a real exit. The nurse whimpered and jumped out the window, slamming it shut as she went.

Alan, Ellie, and Ian were now alone in the room. Ian still had his hands up in a position of preemptive defense, even though it was no longer needed. Once Alan and Ellie realized what had been said, their expressions shifted dramatically. Alan seemed hurt and confused, while Ellie looked fraught with guilt. Ian lowered his arms slowly, not wanting to interfere with their conflict.

"Ellie . . ."

"I didn't mean it, Alan. You _know_ I didn't."

He didn't respond.

"I, uh- I don't think any of us meant what we said . . ." Ian began.

"What the hell happened here?!"

Uh-oh.

"Hello, Dr. Wu! We didn't hear you come in. This isn't the greatest time-" Ian babbled.

"I can see that. Perhaps you can explain to me why our nurse is worried about- How did she put it? Right. _A group of crazy scientists with violent tendencies_."

"Uh . . . Well, actually-"

"It was _my_ fault."

Wu turned to Alan.

"Explain."

"I told Ellie about the letter you gave me, and it upset her. We got a bit carried away-"

"Were you violent with each other?"

"What? No, that wasn't us," Ellie piped up.

"Well, who was it?"

"I'll, uh, take the blame here. I may have egged on a couple of scientists-"

"Robin and Yannick?"

"How did you know?" Ellie asked.

"Lucky guess," he grumbled tersely, "I'll have to have a word with them later. As for _you_ three . . ."

"We just need to sort a few things out, honest!" Ellie pleaded.

Wu narrowed his eyes.

"See that you do."

And without so much as a nod or a wave, he was gone.

The group sat in silence. No one knew what to say after such a brutal argument. They had flat out insulted each other . . . and worse. Ian hoped that the damage wasn't irreparable.

"Maybe we should go back to the hotel," he suggested slowly. Ellie nodded, lowering her eyes to the ground. Alan said nothing.

They stepped over the tangled IV cord as they left the clinic, marching solemnly in single file. No one exchanged a word, though their minds were certainly abuzz with various conflicting emotions. The three of them kept their heads bowed, even when they were greeted by staff along the road. The uphill trek was not unlike a wake, Ian thought.

When they reached the hotel, he offered to leave Alan and Ellie alone. They declined, much to his surprise. He followed them into the elevator, where they fell silent once more. Ellie pressed the button marked "9", and they began their ascent.

It was not a pleasant ride.

The elevator's cheerful "ding" went unnoticed by the three guests, who made their way to the lounge as soon as the doors slid open. Once there, they each dragged an armchair towards the center of the room to form a triangle. They sat down and stared at each other with a businesslike air.

"So," Ellie began, "Let's talk."


	5. Reconciliation

Alan was afraid. He had been expecting some sort of disaster to occur, but _this_? . . . This was not even close to what he'd imagined. Of all the things that could go wrong on an island populated by dinosaurs, who could guess that the first major conflict would stem from a misunderstanding?

No. That wasn't right. It was more like a "barrage of unanticipated truths". Maybe honesty WASN'T the best policy.

Alan suspected that a large percentage of human interaction was heavily dependent on deceit and ambiguity. People were somehow expected to maintain a certain level of neutrality towards unpleasant situations, even if it made no sense to do so. If someone asked you how you were, you'd say "Fine, thank you.", no matter how awful your day had been. If you criticized someone's personality traits, you were expected to balance it out with a compliment, and so on.

In this way, most people tried to appease each other by lacing their opinions with innocent fibs, never thinking twice about the long-term consequences of their actions. It was like repairing a dam with plywood: the long-forgotten details would suddenly make a huge difference in a real disaster. Alan had witnessed the metaphorical demolition firsthand.

It was almost miraculous how a person could suddenly list off every single annoyance they had experienced over the past few years during a fight. Alan wasn't one hundred percent sure that Ellie was genuinely angry with him, but some of the issues she had brought up were disturbingly specific. The real question was: did the sum of these parts negate the positive side of their relationship?

He certainly hoped not.

For some reason, Alan was often labeled as the "gruff" or "impassive" type. While he wasn't exactly a lovey-dovey kind of guy, he wasn't quite apathetic either, though he sometimes entertained that notion to keep up appearances. Even now, Alan tried to give the impression that he was completely secure, but he could feel his control slipping away whenever he made eye contact with Ellie. She looked mortified, and it was disconcerting as hell, given her usual disposition.

Alan felt sick to his stomach. He knew that he had done wrong by her, not just because he had lied, but because in doing so, he had disrespected their partnership (in more ways than one). He wasn't sure Ellie could forgive him this time . . .

"Okay, first of all, I would like to say that I shouldn't have blamed you two for refusing to support my nondisclosure scheme. Besides, it was- what? Two years ago? Yeah, so that's, uh- wait, am I still not allowed to say 'uh'?"

"It's fine, Ian," Alan sighed.

"If you say so. Anyway, that's ancient history. I'm sorry."

"Don't mention it," Alan said, "It's water under the bridge. However, since we seem to be apologizing now, I'd just like to say that I'm sorry for everything I said, even before the fight. It was wrong to lie-"

"Oh! That reminds me: I forgot to apologize for not telling you about Ludlow," Ian added.

"We forgive you, Ian." Alan said brusquely, "As I was saying, I'm sorry for being unsupportive-"

"Wait! I just remembered another one!"

Alan rubbed his temples.

"Go ahead, Ian," he grumbled impatiently.

"I'm sorry for taking the shampoo from your room without asking . . . and for not telling you about it until now," he said with a touch of remorse.

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry for calling you a grumpy old man."

"You never said that . . ."

"I didn't? Hm. In that case, I'm done," Ian said, slumping back into his chair.

Once he was sure that Ian had finished, Alan resumed his apology. Although he was addressing both of his friends, it was clear that the message was implicitly directed at Ellie in particular.

"I shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss your opinions, especially since we're supposed to be a team. I know I can be stoic at times, but it's only because I want to seem bold. The truth is, I'm just as frightened as you are, maybe even more so. As much as I'd like to think that I have things under control, I'm not qualified to take charge in a life-or-death situation, and it was wrong of me to make decisions for you. I'm sorry."

After a second, Ellie cleared her throat.

"I guess it's my turn," she began uneasily, "I'm sorry for yelling at you two. It was foolish of me to blame you, especially since you were only trying to help . . . Most of all, I want you to know that I didn't mean any of the things I said."

She turned to Alan.

"ANY of them."

Alan gave an internal sigh of relief.

"We were all assholes today," Ian concluded.

Despite the oddness of his remark, Alan and Ellie nodded in agreement.

"In the future, I think we should just go ahead and tell each other if we discover something important," Ellie suggested.

"Good idea. I think I've told you guys everything. Alan?"

"I have no new information," he replied, "How about you, Ellie? You spent an awful lot of time with Wu this morning. Did he have anything interesting to say?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. According to Wu, InGen's investors are keen to rebuild Jurassic Park. I saw some workers renovating the rotunda next to the pool, so I asked about it, and-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second," Ian interjected.

Alan could tell that Ellie was afraid that she had said something wrong. She shrunk back into her armchair like a snail, bracing herself for another fight.

"You never said they had a pool . . ."

_***TSJPFEW***_

"No, Ian, the parasaurolophus is NOT a carnivore," Alan groaned with frustration.

"You sure? 'Cuz I'll bet it could stab you in the gut with its horn."

"Crest, Ian. Parasaurolophus has a CREST."

Alan turned to Ellie for assistance. She shrugged helplessly.

Ian had convinced them to take a late-night dip in the pool to ease their nerves. There was quite a bit of protest at first (mostly from Alan, who did not particularly enjoy aquatic activities), but Ian was adamant. After borrowing waterwear from the lobby, they had padded across the courtyard and jumped into the pool (well, Ellie had dived in with Ian, but they eventually managed to drag Alan along with them). Now, Alan and Ian were going over dinosaur trivia while Ellie meandered back and forth along the perimeter of the pool, practicing a wide variety of strokes and paddles.

"And what about this trew . . . trew-den?"

Alan snorted.

"For once, I would have accepted an 'uh'. It's pronounced troh-uh-dawn. And yes: it's a carnivore. If it's bipedal, it's probably not friendly."

"That makes things easy. Four legs good, two legs bad. Perfect! So what about this . . . what was it called? Cephalopod? . . . Pachydermosaurus? . . . The dome-head. Does it bash you in the gut before it eats you?"

"No, that one's an herbivore," Alan explained.

"But you said-"

"Look, let's just assume that all dinosaurs are dangerous, okay?" Alan croaked, "To be honest, I wouldn't trust the herbivores either. Remember our talk with Dr. Harding way back when? According to him, the trikes charged anything that got too close, including jeeps."

"Shit! I knew I'd heard that name before!" Ian exclaimed, slapping the water with one hand, "I didn't want to believe it . . ."

"What are you talking about?" Alan asked, hoping to make some sense of Ian's ramblings.

"Oh, uh . . . Nothing," he responded timidly.

Alan frowned.

"I thought we agreed to tell each other everything," he chided reproachfully.

Ian shook his head.

"It's none of your business. Really, it's private," he insisted, "You wouldn't be interested."

"Ian . . ."

"Fine, fine. You win. I don't want you to think that I'm keeping something from you."

"And? . . ."

Ian took a deep breath.

"There's this girl-"

"Ooooooh!" Ellie hooted playfully.

"Very mature. Anyway, she came to me while I was recovering from . . . you know . . . and I told her everything. She wanted to know if the rumors were true."

"And? . . ." Ellie prompted.

"I think I found my future Ex-Mrs. Malcolm," Ian said with an oily grin.

"Awww, that's so sweet . . . I think . . ." Ellie gushed.

"Some men never learn," Alan sighed.

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a little 'adventuring', if you know what I mean," Ian countered roguishly.

"Ian, you've had enough adventuring to last a lifetime," Ellie giggled.

"Not true, not true! If there's one thing to be drawn from chaos theory, it's that you should never expect a simple result from a complex system," he proclaimed with an air of pompous sophistication.

"I thought you were done with chaos," Alan remarked slyly.

"Yeah, but I don't have to forget everything I've learned. Otherwise, I wouldn't know basic algebra."

"One Ian plus too many women equals trouble!" Ellie twittered as she paddled past.

"Maybe you can womanize in another dimension, just to be sure that you haven't missed anyone. I'll bet that even the laws of reality won't stop 'The Insatiable Ian Malcolm'," Alan quipped.

"Very funny."

Ellie stopped paddling and trod water.

"You never really explained your new theory, Ian. If it's as crazy as you make it out to be, I think we'd all like to hear it."

Ian flourished his hands elegantly.

"Alas, dear Ellie. It is a tale of great proportions, spanning the very fabric of time and space-"

"Okay, Ian, we get the idea. No need to be melodramatic," Alan huffed.

"Alright, alright. Basically, it's this: there's a plethora of worlds that coexist alongside our own: some similar, some drastically different. There are constants, of course, but countless variables, as well."

"Constants?" Alan queried sarcastically.

"Yeah, you know, things that hold a certain same-ness. For instance, there would be a billion InGens, but in some worlds they might have mutant dinosaurs or bright purple raptors or mammoths . . ."

"Mammoths? How could you breed a _mammoth_ on a tropical island?" Alan asked patronizingly.

"Well, I don't know . . ." Ian stuttered, "Maybe they could test it on polar bears first."

"And could these polar bears talk in some worlds? Would they have jobs? Would they wear clothing?" Ellie jested.

"Hardly," Ian snuffed indignantly, "They could wear scarves or helmets, maybe . . ."

"Armored bears? What's next? Cat warriors? Guardian owls?" Alan hypothesized.

"Sentient bats?" Ellie shouted from across the pool.

"Okay, maybe not _that_ crazy, but I'll bet some worlds could have wacky contraptions."

"Such as? . . ."

"I don't know. Floating buildings. Guns that shoot portals . . ."

"Robots?" Ellie suggested.

Alan laughed.

"Those already exist. They're called temp agents."

"Was that a joke, Alan?" Ian babbled, "Not bad, considering your sh-"

Alan frowned.

"Your . . . Well, I've painted myself into a corner. Heh."

During their conversation, a woman in a red swimsuit had tiptoed across the lawn. When she saw who was currently occupying the pool, she turned around and hobbled away in fear.

"Oh, it's you!" Ellie said, spotting her, "Don't leave on account of us: we won't bother you."

"Ah . . . No thanks, I was just passing by . . ."

"In your swimsuit?"

Her eyes darted back and forth guiltily.

"Wh- I- Okay, fine. I'll stay. Just don't get me into any more trouble," she snarled menacingly.

She scuttled over to the edge of the pool and dipped her toe beneath the surface. Once she was sure the water was warm, she slid daintily over the edge, far away from the other occupants.

"You know, we don't bite!" Ian shouted.

She slinked back further.

"We didn't mean to cause any trouble, if that's what you're worried about," Ellie added.

The woman sighed and waded forward.

"It's fine. I guess I should thank you. You got Yannick fired."

"Oh, no! That's awf-"

"Well, not really. It was him or me. I guess Wu thought I was more important," she boasted smugly.

"Ah, there, you see? That decision split our universe into two different timelines!" Ian declared triumphantly.

"What?"

"Oh, Ian was just explaining some multi-dimensional mumbo-jumbo before you arrived," Ellie snickered.

"Is that why Wu brought you here?" she asked cheerfully.

"Doubt it. We're here as a team-"

"Because I don't think he'd show you _The Machine_, if that's what you're after," she continued breezily.

"The Machine? . . ." Ellie echoed.

"Oh, you know . . . the secret device that serves as a gateway to other worlds. It's all confidential, of course; only the brightest minds at InGen are allowed to discuss it."

"And y-"

"Naturally, I know all about it," she crowed.

Alan wondered why she was so keen to reveal Wu's secrets. She was relishing the attention like it was her divine duty to enlighten those who surrounded her. Alan didn't think too highly of her to begin with (indeed, fighting with coworkers was less than exemplary behavior), but this was unbelievable!

"See, Wu didn't really come up with the design himself. We were contacted by another Wu from a parallel universe, who asked if we knew how to build a complex biogenetic automaton for him. Turns out, we didn't have the technology he needed, but Wu learned to build a hole-making device of his own. None of us dared to cross through, of course, so we decided to keep our physical interaction to a minimum. We observed these other dimensions for weeks on end. After a while, we found new InGens, even a couple of Wus. It's interesting: in most worlds, Wu's mother kept her maiden name, Chang, but sometimes, his surname would be something crazy, like . . . Actually, I don't remember most of them, but you get the idea."

"So you're saying that my theories are correct?" Ian asked.

"Yup."

"And there are other worlds that exist alongside our own?"

"Right-O."

"And you have a machine that lets you see through time and space."

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, that's just dandy. I mean, why don't we all hop on over to this machine and give it a whirl?" Ian barked, clapping his hands.

"I don't think Wu would let us," she stammered uncertainly.

"Are you sure you're not just short on physical evidence?" Ian asked with a smirk.

"You think I'm _LYING_?!" she shrieked.

"Yeah, uh, yeah that's about the gist of it," he crooned ironically.

"I should have known! Mathematicians are so closed-minded!" she growled as she climbed out of the pool, "Of all people, YOU should know what it feels like to be ridiculed by your peers. Feh! Go ahead and believe what you want: I don't care!"

She waddled across the concrete like an irritated penguin.

"Gee, she's a tad sensitive, don't you think?" Ian whispered.

"I heard that!" she snarled from across the lawn.

"Sorry!" Ian shouted halfheartedly.

"Ack! Don't bother me anymore! I'm sick of you people, always asking questions . . . If you really cared about the truth, you'd listen when someone gives you the answer!"

Once she was out of earshot, Ian whistled with disdain.

"Tou-chy. Sheesh!" he huffed.

Alan and Ellie glared at him reproachingly. He blinked.

"What?"

"You shouldn't have upset her," Ellie snapped tersely.

"Oh, come on! You heard what she said, right? It's crazy! Even_ I_ know that, and I _study _the goddamn principles! It's impossible!" Ian protested.

"So was an island full of dinosaurs," Alan sighed, "Who's to say what's possible and what's not?"

"But it's-"

"We're not saying she's right," Ellie added, "But we can't be sure that she's mistaken, either."

Ian's jaw dropped.

"But with reasoning like that, we have no certainty. Without certainty, we have-"

"Chaos." they finished simultaneously.

Ian snorted.

"Couldn't have said it better, myself."

_***TSJPFEW***_

A few minutes later, they found themselves sitting on the floor in Ian's bedroom, working on a "group project" of sorts. The maid hadn't emptied the wastebasket during her visit, so the gang decided to salvage the remnants of the poor apatosaurus lamp with the help of a tube of superglue and an assortment of paleontological epoxies and cyanoacrylates. The lightbulb had (miraculously) survived the fall, and the wiring was intact within the base. The trio built around it from the bottom up, gluing and pasting along the edges. It was like a three-dimensional puzzle.

"So the other man says, 'I'll tell you frankly, I didn't like it, Bill. I went back to toilet paper!'" Ian jested.

Alan laughed.

"It's not bad, is it?"

"Not bad at all," Alan said with a grin.

"Oh, shush! You two are so immature," Ellie sighed.

"And proud of it," Ian added, "Hey, pass me that piece over there . . . No, the other one . . . The one that's shaped like India- Bingo! Man, we should do jigsaws together sometime . . ."

"Don't even bother! Ellie's the Jigsaw Queen!" Alan declared.

"Oh, yeah?"

"It's true," she said, beaming, "My family was big on puzzles. By age eight, my skills were so acute that I could finish a thousand-piecer in under an hour. We had a special slab of plywood reserved for puzzles alone."

"She's a monster," Alan whispered dramatically.

"No, you're thinking of my mother."

"Oh-ho! Have you had a few run-ins with the in-laws, then?" Ian teased playfully.

"Technically, they're not in-laws, but yes," Alan hummed.

"They overbearing? . . ." Ian ventured.

"You have no idea," Alan and Ellie chorused gravely.

There was a gentle knock at the door.

"It's probably Wu," Alan suggested.

Ian stood up and answered the door while they hid the lamp.

"Oh . . . hi! We weren't expecting YOU," Ian crooned, "Hey, guys! It's Raven!"

"Who?"

"Robin, actually," she said sheepishly.

"Ah. I'm not good with names. I knew it was some kind of bird . . ."

He cleared his throat.

"So, what brings you here?"

She shuffled her feet.

"I wanted to apologize . . . you know . . . for earlier . . ."

"Ha, don't mention it. I think that's the billionth apology we've heard today. Right guys?"

"Give or take a few," Alan said as he slid the lamp under the bed.

Robin grinned.

"So you believe me, then?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure, why not?" Ian replied.

Alan sensed that Ian was still not convinced. He didn't really believe Robin's claims either, but he wouldn't be surprised if she had based her anecdotes on her own (erroneous) convictions. Maybe her facts were simply exaggerated. Very, very exaggerated.

"You know, you're a lot friendlier than most scientists. Everything is so hush-hush 'round these parts," Ian remarked.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Robin drawled casually, "It's hard to remember who knows what with all of these secrets and lies. To be honest, I'm sick of it, myself. It's no way to run a business, if you don't mind my saying so."

"We don't really agree with Wu's doctrines either," Alan interjected, detecting the hidden meaning in her words, "and we won't tell him that you gave away any information, either."

"Our lips are sealed," Ellie added.

Robin sighed.

"That's a relief. For a while, I was worried that you might be in his clique, if you know what I mean. He probably hasn't told you anything," she guessed.

"Well, we've figured out quite a bit on our own," Ellie pointed out with a slight hesitancy, "and it seems the danger here is very real. I don't know how Wu expects the park to be up and running with all of these raptor issues."

Alan blinked. Raptor issues? Ellie hadn't said anything about raptor issues . . .

"Tell me about it!" Robin groaned, "We've had nothing but trouble ever since we took the chieftain's infant. Honestly, we should have let him go before they had time to plan an attack. They're smart. _Very_ smart . . ."

"It's fascinating, isn't it?" Ellie said quickly, "Let's just hope they don't have enough wingpower to fly over the perimeter . . ."

Alan was dumbfounded. What was she _on _about? . . .

"Eh, I wouldn't worry about THAT," Robin clucked dismissively, "The guards always gun 'em down within fifteen meters."

Ian looked gobsmacked.

"What the hell-"

Without warning, Ellie began to hawk noisily. Both Ian and Robin jumped at the sudden noise. Ellie cleared her throat.

"Right, so the raptors are under control for the time being, but what about the troödons? I doubt they're as smart as you say. I imagine they're no brighter than a chicken."

Alan frowned. What on earth was Ellie talking about? She knew that troödons were often credited as being the smartest of all dinosaurs. Why was she behaving so strangely?

"Ack! Don't even joke about them! They are _deadly_, no word of a lie. If you see their eyes glowing in the night, you're as good as dead. They only reveal themselves when they're in range, you see . . . They show signs of borderline humanoid intelligence. Their level of communication is unheard of."

Ellie smirked.

"Don't be silly. They communicate with eye contact, just like chimpanzees. There's no way they could speak with each other."

With this, Robin adopted an expression of utter confusion.

"But how- I mean, surely you can't- How long have you been infected?"

"Uh . . . Why does it matter?" Ellie sputtered.

Robin sighed.

"Never mind, just forget I said anything. If Wu doesn't want you to know, I wouldn't be doing myself any favors by telling you. I'd better leave now . . . See you guys later, I guess."

She turned to leave, but stopped suddenly.

"Oh, and by the way . . . I wouldn't underestimate the Troödons, if I were you," she said darkly, "If you ever came face-to-face with a troödon, you wouldn't live to tell the tale. They live deep in the Valley of Mists, far from the other predators, but when they decide to hunt, you are a dead man walking. You can run. You can hide. But nothing will save you once you catch a glimpse of those big . . . white . . . bloodless . . . eyes."

Alan shivered.

"Well, goodnight!" she chirped merrily, skipping down the hallway.

Ian closed the door sharply. He turned to Ellie with an expression of indignant hostility.

"What was THAT all about?" he hissed, "I thought we agreed to tell each other _everything_, including potentially life-threatening news about flying raptors and super-smart troödons! I thought you said you didn't HAVE any more information!"

"I didn't," Ellie said simply, "But SHE did."

_***TSJPFEW***_

The newly-repaired apatosaurus lamp glowed radiantly on the bedside table, projecting odd shapes along the walls and floor. The light that shone through the webbed cracks was reminiscent of distorted beams of sunlight on an ocean floor. The bluish tinge of the apatosaurus completed the illusion, giving the room a marine esthetic. This went unnoticed, however, by Alan and his crew, for they had created a new project to admire.

The group was studying a network of red yarn that they had tied to a series of pins on the comforter. It was like a massive spiderweb (if the spider in question had only managed to catch post-it notes for some reason). They took it all in, pondering the implications of what they had discovered. Finally, Ian spoke.

"I don't get it," he conceded.

Ellie slapped his arm with the back of her hand.

"It's a mind-map, you dodo!" she scolded.

Alan knew what Ellie was going for. He had grown accustomed to her quirky methods of thought-organization, though she usually used these diagrams for matters pertaining to excavation and classification. He had to admit that it was useful to put all of these thoughts into writing, even if they couldn't draw any new information from it.

"What does it all mean?" Ian asked, strumming at the yarn idly.

"It's a compilation of what we know and who told us," Ellie replied, slapping his hand away from the web.

"And what DO we know?"

Ellie strutted to the side of the map like a military tactician, pointing at the diagram with a plastic knitting needle.

"First, there's the information Wu gave us. He seemed uncomfortable while he was describing the 'aerodynamic qualities' of certain theropods, so I decided to investigate further, eventually leaching the rest of the information from Robin."

"How did you know it was the raptors?" Ian asked.

"Lucky guess," Ellie hummed sardonically, "Of course, this leads us to the troödons, the most intelligent dinosaurs known to man . . ."

"They seem like a major threat," Alan speculated, "but at least we know how to identify them, not that _that's_ much help, if Robin is telling the truth."

"And The Machine?" Ian wondered aloud, "Where does it fit in? It must be-"

"Irrelevant," Ellie snapped, "We're concerned with dinosaurs and disease, not science fiction! Speaking of which . . ."

"This virus is the most ambiguous part," Alan continued, "Wu says it's dangerous, Hammond says it's benign. Who do we trust? Wu's a liar, and Hammond's . . . Well, he's a bit out-of-touch with reality."

"Therefore, we trust neither of them," Ellie concluded, "Robin, however . . ."

"Said nothing useful. She speaks in riddles . . ." Ian protested.

"Not true," Ellie said, shaking her head, "She knows something. We can coax it out of her, I'm sure."

"But why-"

"She spoke as though she was aware of my condition. Did you see how confused she looked when I stumbled? It makes sense: she fits into the _at-risk_ demographic."

"So you're saying? . . ."

"She has it too," Alan confirmed.

Ian scratched his head.

"I don't know . . . What was it she said before she left? I don't recall her exact words, but it struck me as odd. Something about communication? . . ."

"She's close to the dinosaurs. I saw her feeding bambiraptors," Ellie remembered, "But why would she associate it with the virus?"

"Maybe we should split up and look for clues," Ian sang patronizingly.

"Can it, Scrappy," Alan warned him.

"Scrappy? I thought I was Fred," Ian complained.

"I'm the wisest: I get to be Fred," Alan argued.

"Jinkies," Ellie huffed.

"She makes a good Velma!" Ian remarked.

"She's more of a Daphne," Alan declared.

"Velma!"

"Daphne!"

"Wilma!"

"See, that's not even the right-"

"Oh, shut up! You're both Shaggy!" Ellie snapped.

"Okay, okay," Ian sighed, "Just one last question."

He pointed at the pinned sheet.

"Where am I supposed to sleep?"

_***TSJPFEW***_

After unpinning Ian's blanket, Alan and Ellie headed off to bed. With the disassembled map lying messily on the bedside table, there was no reason to stay up any later. Alan did not sense that Ellie was satisfied with their findings, however. She looked over the post-it notes one last time while Alan brushed his teeth. He could tell that she was still trying to make sense of Robin's ramblings. When he stepped out of the bathroom, Alan noticed that Ellie had replaced the notes with a paperback novel to keep him from worrying. He pretended not to notice that she was holding the book upside-down.

"How is it?" he asked pleasantly.

"What? Oh, the book. It's good," she trilled hastily.

"What's it about?"

Ellie scanned the pages for key words.

"It's, um, it's about . . ."

She peeked at the front cover.

"Gorillas! . . . Gorillas who . . . who live in the Congo. See? That's why it's called- Okay, fine. I wasn't really reading," she conceded, snapping her reading glasses off her nose, "I'm just worried, is all . . ."

Alan put his hand over hers.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed.

"You can't promise that."

"I can."

Ellie shook her head.

"We _barely_ survived our last visit. What makes you think that you have the power to defend me?"

Alan searched for the right answer. He barred "Because this time, we're ready." right off the bat, for obvious reasons. He decided that "Because I can handle this." was also a no-go. What else WAS there? . . .

"Would you like to call your lifeline?" Ellie sassed.

"Give me a minute," Alan retorted.

"It's no use, Alan. We're defenseless," she insisted.

"Wu said he'd give us smoke bombs and flares . . ."

"Great! We may as well try to take down a tank with Nerf guns!" she replied sarcastically.

"It's not our job to fight them," Alan reminded her, "but we can do our best to plan a quick escape if need be."

"Good luck outrunning the velociraptors," Ellie yawned as she undid her hair.

Alan smiled.

"I don't _have_ to outrun the velociraptors. I just need to run faster than Ian."

Ellie cuffed him playfully.

"A-_lan_!"

He chortled.

"I guess you could say he'd be dis-_uh_-sembled!" he teased.

"Oh, stop it, you! This is serious!" Ellie giggled.

"Seri-_uh_-s?"

"Shut up, or I'll strangle you!"

"No need to go full _throttle_."

"Okay, that's it!"

_WHUMP!_

She shoved her pillow against his face in mock-suffocation. After fumbling around for a bit, he poked her in the belly.

"OOF! That's not fair! I was- Oh, no. Oh, _no_! Alan, don't you da-a-are!" she shrieked as he tickled her neck, "You know I'm very sensiti-i-ive! Stop it! St- AHAHAHA!"

Next door, Ian groaned.

"Would you two be _quiet_?! Some of us are trying to get some sleep!"

"Sorry, Ian!" came a muffled chorus from across the wall.

He nickered like a horse and pulled a black sleep mask over his eyes.

"No respect at all," he sighed as he leaned back into his pillow.


	6. White Rabbit

It was dark in the maintenance shed.

Too dark.

Ellie shivered. This whole setup was all too familiar.

In her subconscious, she knew that this was a bad idea. It was impossible to see anything outside of the flashlight's radius, and Ellie didn't like it one bit. She could hear her footsteps echoing through the tunnel, breaking through the absolute silence that enveloped the building like a thick blanket. The noise was sharp, most likely due to the metal grating beneath her shoes. She made her way down to the rickety catwalk, where she paused briefly. Something wasn't right.

When she explored her surroundings, it became clear that she was, in fact, dreaming. As soon as she acknowledged this, she began walking involuntarily towards the glowing mainframe, which had appeared out of nowhere. She tried to stop, but the nightmare was beyond her control now. There was no way to fight it.

When she arrived at the control panel, there was an eerie silence. Something was coming. Although she tried to resist the pull of her subconscious, Ellie couldn't close her eyes or turn away. She was stuck.

'SCREEEEEEEEE!'

The velociraptor burst from behind the power grid, screaming like a banshee.

Ellie ran.

The rhythmic clanging of her feet on the catwalk was hardly loud enough to overpower the raptor's screams. Ellie didn't know where she was going, but she knew that she needed to escape the creature at all costs, no matter where she ended up. She turned several corners, though she couldn't identify any familiar landmarks.

Dashing through the maze of piping and wires, she noticed the pteranodon perched at every intersection. Was she going in circles?

Finally, she saw the glowing contour of an exit. With the raptor close behind her, she struggled to climb towards the light, but she stumbled on the staircase. It collapsed beneath her, leaving her at the mercy of the hissing monster.

'SCREEE!'

It pounced, and-

_***TSJPFEW***_

Ellie jolted awake.

Was this going to be a regular thing? She hadn't had a proper sleep in ages!

She shook off the remnants of the nightmare, still shivering from the post-awakening myoclonus. She tried to minimize the painful tingling by shifting around in bed, but only succeeded in waking Alan.

"Hngrrrmmm . . ." he groaned.

"Sorry, hon. I didn't mean to wake you. Go back to sleep."

"Berderm ermph errerrerr . . ."

"What?"

"Nerrerrmerd . . ."

He sat himself upright with great difficulty.

"Whazz goinnn' onnn?" he slurred, "Izzzit time t'wake up?"

"No, I was just . . . stretching," Ellie stammered.

Luckily for her, Alan was too groggy to question her neurotic behavior. He rolled out of bed clumsily, nearly stepping on his fedora hat, which he had left on the floor. He picked it up and placed it on his head, forgetting that he was still wearing his pajamas.

"Throw me the pillow; I'll throw you the whip," Ellie joked.

"Hey, I'm no Harrison Ford," Alan retorted semi-lucidly.

"You guys up?" Ian chimed in from the other side of the wall.

"Yeah, you?" Alan asked, oblivious to his slip-up.

"Oh boy. We'd better get you some coffee, and quick!"

_***TSJPFEW***_

After breakfast, Ellie and the gang headed to the grassy plain near the Visitors' Center. They had been told that Wu was doing fieldwork (in the most literal way possible), but he was nowhere to be seen. Despite this, they decided to stick around, just in case. When it became apparent that they were not going to be assisted, they trotted down the path to find the other scientists. This proved to be a simple feat; the veterinary RV was hard to miss on such flat terrain. A worker nodded at them as they walked by (after taking a puff of his cigarette, of course).

"Is Wu around?" Ellie asked.

The worker laughed.

"He ain't here, lucky for you," he wheezed.

"What do you mean?" Ellie inquired.

He exhaled, sending a cloud of smoke uncomfortably close to her face.

"Wu's in one of his moods. He just finished yappin' at Harding," he croaked.

"Harding?" they chorused in different tones.

"Someone call me?" came a voice from inside the trailer.

"Shit! I'm not here!" Ian hissed as he ducked under the vehicle.

"What the hell? . . ." Alan began.

"Shhhhhhhhh . . ."

"Ian-"

"SHHH!"

"Are you seeing this?" he asked Ellie with bewilderment, "Unbelievable!"

Harding rounded the corner with his hands on his hips.

"What's the matter, Joe? Can't you see I'm bus-"

He noticed Ellie and Alan.

"Well, I'll be damned. What on earth are YOU doing here?" he bellowed heartily.

Ellie smiled.

"It's good to see you again, Dr. Harding. We're here to see Wu. Is he coming back soon?"

"I hope not," Harding grunted, "He didn't seem too happy with my progress on the stegosaurs."

"_Stegosaurs_?" Alan asked with excitement.

"Yeah. I'm supposed to be finding a cure for their diarrhea, but my scientist bailed last minute and his partner mysteriously vanished shortly after."

Ellie and Alan exchanged a look.

"No, no, she hasn't been eaten . . . I think. There aren't any predators nearby, in any case. We're next to the herbivore sanctuary. We whipped it together to salvage some of the more 'valuable' specimens. Trouble is, half of them don't trust me."

"Why not?" Ellie asked.

"I lost my hat. They don't recognize people too well, so I have to keep up a consistent outfit. I had the same trouble when I shaved my mustache. That was quite an ordeal. Have you ever tried to order a fake mustache from San José?"

"Can't say I have," Alan said with a shrug.

"Ah, well don't try it. They never have the right color in stock."

"I'll take your word for it."

Harding chuckled.

"Well, it looks like Wu won't be back for a bit. Wanna come inside?" he said, pointing to the RV.

"Sure! We'd love to," Ellie said brightly.

One by one, they climbed up the folding stairs and made their way into the trailer. Harding closed the door with a metallic thud.

"Um . . . guys?" Ian whimpered under the RV.

_***TSJPFEW***_

As they opened the inside door, Ellie gasped. The interior was unlike anything she had ever seen, and she had encountered _a lot_ of vehicles in her career. The RV was massive, luxurious, and unbelievably clean. It made their own trailer look like a tinker toy.

The center room was multi-purpose, with large stainless steel counters and fold-out tables stationed along the walls, obviously for experimentation of some genre. These spaces, Ellie guessed, were especially useful for veterinary purposes. Harding and his (currently absent) associates would have _no_ trouble working in these marvelous conditions.

The hull of the vehicle had many custom modifications. Where there should have been beds, there were open spaces; where there should have been a television, there was a scientific computer. This RV was not designed for leisure;_ that_ was for sure. Along the walls, there were folding chairs and cots that strapped into place so that they would not slide while the vehicle was in motion. In the back room, there was a fully-sized refrigerator, but instead of food, it held various temperature-specific substances, experiments, and vaccines.

"Wow. You really have everything," Ellie remarked with wonder.

"That's not all! We have a meat locker too. Take a look."

Harding pressed a red button on the wall. A large metallic door hissed open. When the cloud of coolant gas cleared, everyone backed away in surprise. There, standing among the slabs of meat, was Robin, shivering with cold.

"Ah. _There_ you are, Robin! I was worried that something had happened to you," Harding said with embarrassment.

Robin stepped forward, unsticking her frozen shoes from the floor.

"S-s-something d-d-did hap-p-pen," she stuttered, "I g-g-got locked ins-s-side . . ."

She broke an icicle off her nose.

"How-" Alan began.

"Don't ask," she growled.

Harding rubbed his chin.

"Robin, why didn't you use the inside button?" he inquired.

"The w-w-what?"

"We have two buttons. One on the inside and one on the outside. See?" he explained, pointing to another bright red button. Robin did not say a word. She shuffled away with a neutral expression, her frozen clothes crunching with each step. Ellie and Alan watched her leave.

"Is she usually like this?" Ellie asked slowly.

"Oh, yes."

"And she got this job . . . how?" Alan wondered.

"She did well in her job interview; she had very creative answers!" Harding marveled.

"And what are those?"

"Application sessions," Ellie said cleverly.

_***TSJPFEW***_

Ian was surprised to see a human ice cube exit the RV.

"Oh my god . . ."

"Don't even START!" Robin spat, "I've had enough trouble without your input, Mr. Sassypants!"

"Sassypants?" Ian mumbled.

"Yeah, you think you're so cool, with your black leather and dark sunglasses. Pffft!"

"Actually, at this precise moment, you're the one who's 'cool', if you catch my drift."

It took a second for the penny to drop.

"HEY!"

"Relax, I'm just kidding. Want some gum?"

She snatched the stick of gum from his palm nastily.

"You're welcome . . ."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, you know."

"Where'd you learn that? Elementary school?"

"Ack! There you go again! It's no wonder your friends left you alone out here."

Ian snuffed indignantly.

"For your information, they didn't _leave_ me. I'm, uh, hiding from my girlfriend's pop."

Robin stopped chewing her gum.

"You know, I'm no expert in 'normal' behavior, but that's probably the _stupidest_ thing I've ever heard."

"Must not listen to yourself much," Ian muttered under his breath.

"I'm not deaf, you know."

She popped her gum messily.

"Charming."

Ian heard a click inside the trailer.

"Oh, shit, shit, shit!"

He slid under the RV again, nearly bumping his head in the process.

"-by the garage. Assuming he doesn't show up _here _again . . ." Harding was saying, "Is it just you two, or are we waiting on anyone else?"

"Just us," Ellie lied.

Robin sneered at Ian.

"Oh, Dr. _Har_-ding . . ." she sang merrily.

Ian began to panic. He folded his hands in a prayer gesture and mouthed "Please, don't." to the gleeful scientist.

"What is it, Robin?"

"I have something very interesting to tell you . . ."

She held eye contact with Ian, who had given up on begging. Curling into a ball, he bit his lip and closed his eyes. He was bracing himself for humiliation. Robin's nose twitched.

"Well?" Harding prompted.

She sighed.

"I saw a coelophysis this morning," she finished.

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Ian was about to silently thank her, but she left without giving him so much as a final glance. Ellie rubbed her chin as Robin departed.

"Hm. She's an odd bird, that one," Harding clucked, "The garage is just over that hill. I could walk you over . . ."

"We're fine," Ellie replied, "We don't want you to get into trouble when we meet up with Wu."

_Or for Ian to get into trouble when he meets you_, she thought.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Harding agreed, "If you get lost, just look for the communications tower. It's hard to miss."

He retreated back into his trailer, obviously wary of Wu's judgment.

"He's gone," Ellie informed Ian.

"Oh, good," he sighed as he slid out from under the trailer, "He's a bit off, don't you think?"

_***TSJPFEW***_

The communications tower was easy to spot, just like Harding said. It towered above the trees like an iron pine, blinking red at the top every so often. There was a path snaking through the jungle that seemed to be pointed in its general direction, so the group decided to begin their trek there. It wasn't an easy hike, but Ellie was used to such things. The ground, she noticed, was surprisingly alpine-esque for a tropical jungle, with wood chips and grayish rocks all over the place. The dirt looked less fertile than it should have because of this. Ellie wondered if it was due to human intervention. It wouldn't surprise her: InGen's fingerprints were everywhere, from the untended plants to the hastily scraped-off arbor fungus. Once in a while, they would pass a decomposing hunk of bark, which smelled of rot and decay. There didn't seem to be enough decomposers in this ecosystem, and this troubled Ellie. A healthy equilibrium depended on all kinds of factors, and InGen had obviously removed these components to be aesthetically pleasing. What's more, non-native plants were beginning to take over, thriving in the summery conditions. Ellie was not pleased.

Ian stumbled on the trail.

"Ow!"

"Careful, Ian," Alan sighed.

"I don't understand how you two are so _sprightly_, especially with open-toed shoes."

"Years of practice, Ian. Years of practice."

"You hike much?"

"We have to," Ellie interjected, "in our line of work."

Ian shrugged.

"I don't know, I always thought you just sat and dug."

"There's a lot more to it than that," Alan said defensively, "We do all kinds of things, ranging from analysis to art."

"Art?"

"We have to reassemble specimens with glue," Alan explained, "It's intricate work."

"Like a puzzle," Ellie offered.

Suddenly, a lush cotoneaster bush to the left of the road sneezed loudly. Ian hopped off the trail to investigate.

Ellie rubbed her chin.

"You know, I'm willing to bet it's . . ."

Ian pulled Robin up from behind the bush.

". . . yeah," Ellie finished.

"I wasn't following you," Robin whimpered.

"Likely story," Ian grumbled, letting her go.

"We seem to be bumping into you _a lot_, recently . . ." Alan remarked with suspicion.

"Did Wu send you?" Ian asked.

"WHAT?!" she squawked, "I'm not just some stupid _underling_! I'm a _scientist_!"

"A very_ incompetent_ scientist . . ." Ian muttered.

"Hey, I saved your ass back there! I didn't have to do that," Robin snapped.

"Granted, but-"

"Ack! Save your 'buts' for someone who gives a shit. I'm outta here!"

They watched her leave.

"Why is it that she always exits on a sour note?" Ian puzzled.

"Maybe she doesn't have much good news to give," Ellie suggested, "She DID save your ass though."

"You mean _jur_-ass?"

They groaned.

_***TSJPFEW***_

When they reached the top of the hill, Ellie noticed that Ian was quite winded. He stood with both hands on his bent knees, panting like a sick dog.

"Do you need us to carry you, Ian?" she joked.

He waved his hand floppily.

"No, no. Go ahead. I'll catch up with you later," he rasped.

Alan gestured towards the garage.

"Shall we?"

Ellie nodded.

They trudged over the rocky crest of the hill and found themselves on a vast expanse of dirt. It was powdery beneath their sandals, often kicking up at the slightest breeze. There were various supplies outside the garage, ranging from metal to tires, though it was hard to make out anything else among the mess of building materials. The precariously stacked sheets of corrugated metal clanged against each other with each gust of wind in a cacophony of rust and steel. The whole setup looked like a junkyard.

"Lonesome-looking place, isn't it?" Ellie remarked idly.

As they approached the open door, Ellie and Alan heard a shrill buzzing sound, most likely from a saw of some kind. Alan winced at the noise. It was like nails on a chalkboard, Ellie thought as they stepped across the threshold.

Inside the garage, there were various cars and accessories. Jeeps, vans, and quads were being worked on in the center of the room by several purple-card workers, who welded and cut at the sides like they were trying to destroy the poor things. Ellie noted that a good portion of the cars seemed to have distinctly dinosaur-related ailments, including scratched paint, mangled steering wheels, and chewed tires. It was enough to make her feel unsafe all over again.

"Excuse me," Alan shouted over the racket, "Can someone tell us where to find Wu?"

A plump man with a curly beard rubbed his hands on a rag and walked over to greet them.

"If you are looking for Wu, he just left, señor," he said apologetically, "You could check the trailer . . ."

"Been there," Ellie replied, "Where else could he be?"

The man shrugged.

"I don't know . . . You should stay put: he might be looking for you."

Ellie bit her lip.

"I sure _hope_ not. We heard that he was in a bad mood . . ."

The worker nodded.

"Furious! He started shouting about crazy things like deadlines and diarrhea . . . I think he might be insane," the man admitted.

"Hey! Felipe! We need your help o'er here!"

"Jus' a minute, I'm talking with the guests."

"Now!"

Felipe rolled his eyes.

"What is it, Carlos?"

He strutted over to a car with an open hood. Ellie and Alan followed him hesitantly. A greasy man slid out from under the car.

"There's nothing wrong down here. Grab a cable: it might help."

"Ay-ay-ay! Is that all?"

He pulled a red jumper cable off the wall and tossed it over.

"Hook it up!"

And he did just that. Felipe grabbed the other end of the cable and marched over to another car, popping the hood. Ellie and Alan watched with fascination.

"Do you think they need help?" Ellie asked.

"Naw, they're fine."

Alan turned away in order to examine a bite mark on the crumpled hood of a jeep. Ellie bit her lip. Apparently, he was also questioning the park's safety.

"HEY, WATCH OUT!"

In a short amount of time, several things happened at once. The jumper cable had wrapped around Carlos' foot, causing him to trip and knock over a barrel of poorly-placed water, which spilled all the way over to where Ellie was standing. She didn't have time to lift her soaked feet, however, as she noticed a very troublesome fact. 

Carlos had dropped his end of the cable into the puddle. 

Before she could process what was going on, Ellie jolted in pain and fell against a car door.

"What the hell? ELLIE! Ellie, are you okay?"

She couldn't answer. The world seemed to be spiraling around her. Nothing had defined edges . . . at least, none that she could see amid the whiteness that lined her vision. It was like a dream. She thought she heard the flapping of wings . . .

". . . crazy?! She's been electrocuted!" Alan was shouting.

Ellie's eyes fluttered.

"No . . . no, I'm fine. I-"

She winced.

"We have to get you to the clinic!"

"Too far, señor! Take her to the Visitors' Center!"

He nodded, supporting Ellie as they stumbled out the door. On their way out, they passed Ian, who had finally decided to join them.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"No time. Visitors' Center," Alan stammered hurriedly.

"Is Ellie hurt? Tell me on the way, at least!" Ian shouted.

"Can you keep up?" Alan asked.

"No . . ."

"Then don't slow us down!"

Ellie limped beside Alan. Her stomach felt like it was shifting all over the place, and it was much worse than it had been the night she threw up. It was so painful . . .

Then she remembered. 

_You needn't worry. As long as you avoid strong electrical stimulation- and I don't think you'll have a problem with that, being the clever girl you are- you won't show any symptoms._

This was not good.


	7. Interlude

Here it comes.

**The Silliest Plot Point Ever**

Hold on to your butts . . .


	8. Chaos

"Hang on, Ellie. We're almost there . . ." Alan cooed gently as they approached the Visitors' Center.

Ellie didn't answer. She was afraid that if she opened her mouth, she'd vomit. In any case, her tongue was too swollen to speak. All she could do was hobble along and trust that Alan knew what he was doing.

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Alan adjusted his arm so that Ellie could hold the railing. It took her a couple of tries: there were three bars in her field of vision.

"Jeepers! What's wrong with her?" a familiar voice squawked.

Oh, no.

"She's been electrocuted, Robin. Stand aside."

"Yikes. That's terrible news- Wait, did you say _electrocuted_?"

Robin's tone brightened almost instantly.

"I can help! See, we both-"

"No, Robin! I need you to get Wu," Alan insisted as they stumbled up the stairs.

"But I-"

"Get Wu!"

"Alright, I'm going, I'm going!"

She pattered down the staircase as Ellie and Alan burst through the front door.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" Alan shouted desperately.

The rotunda was deserted.

"Hello?!"

"Alan . . ." Ellie rasped, "I don't feel so good . . ."

He brought her over to the flower bed.

"Shhh, it's okay. Here, lie down while I get help. Don't move."

She didn't have much of a choice. Whenever she tried to sit up, Ellie experienced an agonizing pain in her chest. It was brutal. She rolled over and started counting the flowers to keep her mind off the pain.

Heliconia . . . 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . .

She cringed.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

Furry Feather Calathea . . . 1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . 4 . . . 5 . . .

"We need help here!"

Ellie started shivering.

African Mask . . . Brazilian Tree Fern . . .

"Please? . . ."

Crocosmia-

Without warning, a massive wave of pain and nausea washed over Ellie, and she began to foam at the mouth. She spat into the flower display, trying not to choke on her froth as she contorted on the floor.

"Alan . . ." she coughed weakly.

The foam began to subside, but the pain only got worse.

"Alan!" she screamed.

As she batted her arms in front of her, she noticed that her hands seemed to be distorted. Impossible. It had to be her vision . . .

"Alan! Help!"

She bit her lip. It bled furiously. How-

"Ellie? Ellie, what's wro- OH MY GOD!"

Alan was on the balcony. By the expression on his face, Ellie could tell that there something was seriously wrong with her. He looked as though he might faint . . .

She screamed. The pain was getting worse.

"ALAN!"

"I'm coming!"

"ALA-AAAAAAAAAH!"

Alan ran down the staircase at full force, jumping down two steps at a time.

By the time he reached the bottom, Ellie had already passed out.

_***TSJPFEW***_

"Ellie? . . ."

"Ellie?"

"Ellie, are you okay?"

She groaned and lifted her head.

Everything was blurry. Maybe she had gone blind during her little seizure . . .

"Ellie?" Alan whispered.

She jumped at his sudden appearance. Ellie hadn't noticed him before, yet he was standing right in front of her. He stepped back, then disappeared once more. That was strange. Maybe she was hallucinating . . .

"If you can understand me, blink twice."

She obeyed.

Alan flickered in and out of her vision. It was odd, she only seemed to notice him when-

. . . when he moved.

Oh, no.

Oh, _no_!

It was impossible! It had to be! There was no way this could be happening, _no way_! It had to be a mistake or a misconception on her part. And yet . . .

No. This wasn't real. This wasn't _real_!

"Ellie . . ."

She turned to Alan. He was struggling to find the right words. Finally, he sighed.

"Ellie, I think you might be a T-Rex."

_***TSJPFEW***_

Robin ran across the field, pumping her arms up and down like an epileptic athlete. Although she had never been a good runner, panic was always a strong motivator. She had to be quick, for Ellie's sake.

Robin knew how tough the first sick-wave could be, in fact, one might say that she had firsthand experience. She would never forget how frightening the electrocution had been, especially since she had been among the first to undergo the procedure. Back then, nobody knew if it was possible for a person of her level of infection to survive. From what she understood, Ellie was a couple of notches _higher_ than that, having been closer in proximity to the reactor when it went off.

To be honest, Robin was more than a little jealous of Ellie. Wu hypothesized that she could probably go all the way to the level of a T-Rex, the largest theropod on the island at the time. It made sense: she had come into contact with the Rex during her visit, and if anyone was at the top tier for radiation, she was the most likely candidate (well, aside from the kids, who reacted differently to the disease [though Wu wasn't entirely certain about the effects of the virus on children yet]). It was too bad Ellie wasn't a staff member. Wu might've told her more if he'd known that she could be trusted.

Robin stopped to catch her breath. What was she _doing_, anyway? Wasn't she capable enough to handle the situation on her own? Surely, she could assist Ellie, even if she was in a higher tier.

But Wu would be furious, wouldn't he? Robin pictured him with his arms crossed, tapping his foot like a cartoon character, shouting-

"ROBIN! What the hell is going on? Why aren't you at your post?"

She turned around. Apparently, WU had found HER.

"Uh, nothing . . . Well, something . . . What I mean is-"

"ROBIN!"

She flinched.

"It's about the group . . ." she whimpered.

"Are they getting along?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. We need their cooperation. _Especially_ Sattler," he said pointedly, "We'll bide our time for now, but when the moment is right, we'll tell her everything."

Robin grimaced.

"Actually . . ."

_***TSJPFEW***_

"I just don't understand how this could _happen_!" Alan marveled, "I mean, it's _crazy_, totally _crazy_!"

Ellie nodded. She was sitting in the middle of the flower bed, watching him pace back and forth. Although she knew that he was upset, she was glad that he was up and about. She didn't want to lose sight of him.

"And you didn't know about this side-effect, right?"

'Of _course_ I didn't! I would have_ told_ you.'

"Oh, Ellie, you _know_ I can't understand a word you're saying . . ."

She rolled her eyes. It was odd that she was able to do so, considering the hypothesized lack of ocular mobility in dinosaurs. Maybe she wasn't completely saurian after all . . .

"I can't believe Wu lied about something as important as this," Alan continued, "I mean, look at you!"

She snuffed angrily.

"You know what I mean."

Suddenly, the doors swung open.

"Alan, Ellie, I made it! Now, will someone tell me what's going o-AH-AH-AH!" Ian shrieked as he noticed Ellie.

"Don't move, Ian!" Alan shouted.

Ian froze with his arms shielding his face.

"I'm not talking about the vision thing," Alan clarified, "It's Ellie."

"What about her?" Ian asked, still not moving.

"No, I mean, _it's_ Ellie."

'Hi, Ian.'

He lowered his arms.

"I don't get it," Ian babbled.

Alan sighed.

"What's not to get? Ellie's a T-Rex."

She nodded and waved at Ian with her tiny T-Rex arm.

Ian looked at Alan, then Ellie, then Alan again. Finally, he put his hands together and took a deep breath.

"And everyone's . . . _okay_ with this?"

'What do YOU think?'

"I can't understand her, can you?" Ian asked.

"Nope," Alan sighed.

Ian ran his fingers through his hair.

"Alrightee, then. This is quite a dilemma. Are you _sure_ it's El-"

"Yes!" Alan shouted impatiently.

"Just making sure . . ." Ian said defensively.

Ellie grunted.

"Hey, don't you get sassy with _me_!" Ian said, waggling his index finger at her.

She snapped her teeth at him mockingly.

"Argh! That's not funny, you know. I still have PTSD from my last encounter."

'Don't we all?'

Alan started pacing again.

"I think we need to reconsider our options at this point-"

'Obviously.'

"That sounded sarcastic," Alan surmised.

Ellie shrugged as best as she could.

"Anyway, we should probably figure out a plan of action, or things could get ugly _real _fast," he finished.

They didn't have to wait for his prophecy to come true. At that exact moment, the Costa Rican nurse entered through a side door, blowing her nose. She adjusted her glasses and turned to face Ellie.

'Um . . . hello?'

"Dios mío, es un dinosaurio!" she screamed, dropping her tissue.

"Wait! Stop!" Alan shouted as she fled.

"¡Ayuda! ¡Ayuda! Estoy siendo perseguido por un monstruo, y él ve con hambre!"

"We've gotta get you out of here!" Alan shouted to Ellie, who promptly stood up.

'Alan, I hope you know what you're doing, because I'm not sure that I can walk too far on these legs . . .'

"How do we get her out of here? She won't exactly fit through the front door . . ." Ian pointed out.

"I don't know, but we'd better think of something, and quick!"

Suddenly, a group of security guards flooded across the room, having been alerted by the nurse's screams. They pushed Alan and Ian to the side aggressively. After finding cover, they cocked their guns and took aim at Ellie.

"Wait! Don't shoot her, don't shoot her!" Alan shouted, trying to push past them.

Ellie felt a sharp sting on her thigh. They were firing at her!

"Run, Ellie, run!"

Run where? There was nowhere to go! She swerved her head from side to side, searching for an escape route.

"Through the glass, Ellie! Jump through the glass!" Ian hollered as two guards tackled him to the ground.

Ellie turned to the window, trying to judge its width. Another bullet grazed her shoulder. She would have to take a leap of faith.

She took a running jump at the window, hoping that she was heavy enough to break through.

She was.

The glass shattered around her as she tumbled down the slanted terrain, landing painfully on her side. Somehow, she managed to stand herself upright before the guards were able to surround the window area. Ellie stomped across the open field, heading for the cover of the jungle. She felt a bullet nick her eyebrow, and ran faster.

Once she was out of range, she turned back to the Visitors' Center to see if Alan was okay. Unfortunately, she was too far to identify the tiny people running around on the broken glass. She _did_ notice, however, that a group of unfriendly-looking men were boarding a jeep to chase her down. She turned away from them reluctantly. She didn't want to leave, but if she were to stick around . . .

Ellie plunged into the dark jungle, not knowing where she would end up when she reached the other side.


	9. Compsognathus

Robin tiptoed across the field of broken glass, feeling the larger fragments crunch unpleasantly beneath her sneakers. She didn't want to cut her feet, yet she couldn't resist taking a peek at the scene of the crime. She wasn't the only one: a slew of scientists had crowded around the shattered window to gawk at the remnants of (what she assumed to be) an alarmingly violent spectacle. All the telltale signs of a battle were evident, from the trampled flower bed to the glass on the back lawn where she stood. Although she felt a twinge of guilt for not making it back in time, it was quickly replaced with a burning indignance. She could have handled the situation alone . . . Maybe.

Robin grabbed hold of the window's edge and hoisted herself back into the rotunda. The Visitors' Center was colder than usual. It wasn't surprising: the shattered window provided an inordinate amount of natural ventilation. Robin shivered. Sattler had burst through the glass like it was made of wet papyrus, and the armed guards were unable to stop her. It was a good thing, too, for her sake, though it made Robin question the validity of InGen's safety measures. If the trailer incident wasn't proof of InGen's shortcomings, then THIS certainly was. The room looked like a war zone!

"Boy, your friend really did a number on this place, huh?" she said to Ian, who was leaning against the wall beside the window.

He glared at her.

"I can't imagine it's easy to clean up after yourself when you're being SHOT AT!" he snapped.

"_I_ tried to _stop_ this! Don't take your anger out on _me_!" she responded angrily.

Ian ignored her and walked over to Alan, who was being "interviewed" by Wu. Robin sensed that Alan was distraught, and with good reason: he had just lost his significant other. Robin wondered what it would be like to have someone care about you that much. It must be nice, even if it sometimes ended in affronts and squabbles.

Unfortunately, Robin never had much luck with relationships. She couldn't imagine why: she was attractive, bold, bubbly, caring, charming, cheerful, confident, creative, dynamic, energetic, friendly, funny, generous, gentle, honest, imaginative, kind, lively, loyal, optimistic, outgoing, perky, persistent, positive, pretty, proactive, quirky, romantic, sincere, sweet, thoughtful, upbeat, warm, witty, and humble, yet her personality didn't seem to jell with most people. She wasn't even popular in the workplace, let alone on a personal level!

Although Robin had shaken off her greatest (solely in the proportional sense) enemy, she still had to face a heap of criticism from her coworkers. Some people were _so_ judgmental! After all, she had never caused an explosion with a significant blast radius, and her acid spills never burned anyone past the second degree . . .

It was clear that Robin's coworkers had set unrealistic safety standards. That, or they had some sort of prejudice against her work. But how could that be, when she had contributed so much to InGen? She had been successful in many fields, such as . . .

Such as . . .

Well, she had almost healed a sick apatosaurus three years ago, and she was currently a proud supporter of "Casual Friday". Most impressively, she had discovered a cure for diabetes (though it had been deemed unsafe in testing because it instigated cholera, halitosis, and lycanthropy).

Other than that, she had an alarmingly low rate of success. Maybe Robin was destined to be the black sheep of InGen.

Unless . . .

This just might be the _perfect_ time to prove herself! If she could show her peers that she was a responsible, mature, and altogether _awesome_ scientist, maybe they wouldn't be so cruel to her whenever something went wrong. She might even win employee of the month (if it existed at InGen). Maybe she'd get a medal! Maybe she'd have friends . . .

Then it was settled. She'd have to find the plant lady as soon as possible. To do this, she would call upon her bambiraptor minions (whom she had lovingly named after Santa's reindeer as an inside joke [with herself]) to track Sattler down. With the help of her sycophantic hirelings, she'd have eyes all over the park. It was _perfect_!

But she'd better not tell anyone, just in case. She'd have to sneak away while they weren't paying attention . . .

"Well, I'm off to do _science_ things, if anybody n-"

Robin looked around. Apparently, everyone had left while she was busy fantasizing. How rude. At least it would make sneaking away a lot easier . . .

Robin trotted out the back door. Once she was through, she checked that the coast was clear. She slunk against the side of the building like a secret agent, pausing every so often. She was smooth, graceful, mysterious, deadly, and, most importantly, sneaky.

"Oh! Hi, Robin!"

"GAH!"

"Ooh, sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you!" the custodian apologized, backing away as she batted her arms in a Kung Fu-ish way.

"Frightened? Who's frightened? Not me!" Robin asserted, leaning on his supply cart, which promptly fell over. She pulled the cart upright and fluffed her coat.

"Urrrh, anyway . . . What are you doing here?"

The man hooted playfully.

"Ho-ho, well I'm just cleaning up all of this glass, see? It's my job."

"Right. You're Stan . . . the sanitation man . . ."

"Throwing garbage in my can," he chuckled, "Yes, I've heard the rhyme. What are YOU up to?"

"Oh, just the usual. Healing animals, concocting medical formulas . . ."

She turned and walked away suavely.

". . . planning my return to glory . . ." she said with a sinister grin.

"What?"

"Gah! Nothing! I thought you were gone . . ."

"A janitor's job is never done."

"I see . . . carry on," she said, lacing her fingers together, "I have work to do . . ."

_***TSJPFEW***_

Ellie was lost. The jungle was larger than she had anticipated, and it didn't seem to be getting any sparser. It was possible that she had turned herself around while she was squeezing through the dense foliage, but she had no way of knowing where she might be.

To make matters worse, Ellie was hungry. Really, _really _hungry. She hadn't eaten since breakfast, and her T-Rex metabolism wasn't doing her any favors.

She pressed her body through two curved monkey pod trees, nearly snapping them in the process. When she finally freed herself from their branches, Ellie found that she was standing at the edge of a murky pond. The water didn't look too clean, but she was too thirsty to care. She lapped up the water with her giant tongue, ignoring the unfamiliar reflection on the surface of the lake.

_Co-ack!_

She raised her head. A large toad was watching her from a lily pad, croaking neutrally. It blinked, running its nictitating membrane over bleak, horizontal pupils.

_Co-ack!_

She wondered . . .

No, it was a _bad _idea. She didn't care _how_ hungry she was: she would _never_ eat a toad.

. . . still, she might not be able to find a decent meal for quite some time . . .

Bad idea, bad idea!

. . . it might not seem so gross with her new taste buds . . .

No, no, no!

Before she knew what she was doing, she snapped her jaws shut around the toad, catching the lily pad in her teeth. Ellie shivered. She could feel its legs rubbing against her tongue. Ew . . .

Suddenly, the frog started hopping around in her mouth. Ellie retched. It was wiggling all over the place! She spat it out, disgusted by the sliminess of the animal. It hopped onto another lily pad and sat peacefully.

_Co-ack!_

'Oh, shut up!' she snapped.

Ellie decided that she would have to find civilization soon . . . Before she had the chance to give in to _another_ saurian impulse. She just hoped that Alan had explained everything to the staff . . .

'Hey! Watch it, lady!'

Ellie jumped at the sudden noise. She looked all over for the speaker, but he was nowhere to be seen.

'Down here!'

Ellie turned her head so that she could see the ground. A tiny green dinosaur was standing between her toes, twitching angrily. Ellie blinked.

'_Well_? Aren't you going to _apologize_?' he squeaked.

'Are you . . . are you a compsognathus?' Ellie asked, not knowing how to respond.

'Sure am! What are you, a metriacanthosaurus?' he chirped.

'No, T-Rex. Well, actually . . .'

'Bullshit. There hasn't been a T-Rex on Isla Nublar for over two years. And they wouldn't ship something as large as you from Sorna.'

'Sorna?' Ellie echoed dumbly.

'Aw, forget it. You're obviously dense. It's true what they say about you big'uns: you're all brutes!' he spat.

'Hey, watch it, pal! I could eat you for breakfast!' Ellie threatened.

'I'd like to see you try!'

She growled.

'Get lost, pipsqueak!'

When he didn't obey, Ellie gave him her best _don't-mess-with-me_ roar. The compsognathus skittered away on tiny legs, squeaking like a rat.

'Cretin!'

'Jerk!'

Ellie sighed and continued her journey. Of all the things she expected to see on this island, a foul-mouthed compsognathus was _not _among them. This day was getting weirder and weirder . . .

_***TSJPFEW***_

Alan and Ian sat in the back of a jeep, calling Ellie's name as Wu drove them across the park. Ian had somehow acquired a megaphone, though he seemed to be aiming it at Alan, rather than the jungle.

"Ellie! Elliiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!"

"Ah! Ian, get that thing out of my face! My ears are ringing!"

"The car is bouncing up and down. I can't hold it straight . . ."

"Give it to me," Alan said, grabbing it from his hands, "Ellie? . . . Ellie? You can come out now! Nobody's going to hurt you!"

"Man, I hope she's not already injured. Those guards caught her right in the leg . . ."

Alan glared at Ian.

"What? I'm expressing concern . . ."

"She'll be fine," Wu interjected, "The bullets we use for security aren't strong enough to injure something as large as a T-Rex. Her hide is thick . . ."

"How do we know you aren't lying?" Alan retorted, "She could be bleeding to death _right now_ . . ."

"I assure you, she is fine. This is _not _something I take lightly," Wu replied calmly.

"Well, uh, you seem to have no trouble keeping information from us," Ian pointed out.

"You found your answers. Isn't that enough?" Wu asked rhetorically.

"Hardly," Alan huffed, "We still have _no idea _what's going on . . ."

"Yeah, you mind filling us in, Doc?" Ian finished sarcastically.

"Certainly," Wu said, ignoring Ian's tone, "The disease, as I've told you, functions on various levels. These are measured by the size of dinosaur a person can achieve. Ellie's limit appears to be the Tyrannosaurus Rex, so she will automatically go to _that_ whenever she's exposed to electrical stimuli. She does, however, have other dinosaurs stored within her system, which can be accessed at any time. Think of it as a cup. The larger your glass is, the more water you can hold, but you'll have no trouble filling it up halfway."

"Would she have had to come into contact with these dinosaurs?" Alan asked.

"Yes, though the disease is very contagious. Even indirect contact could result in an infection."

Alan narrowed his eyes.

"And is there anything _else_ you're not telling us? . . ."

Wu hesitated.

"Well, she may experience some _minor_ side-effects from the DNA she carries . . ."

"_Please_ tell me she's not going to undergo a spontaneous change in gender . . ." Alan groaned with dread.

"No, no! Nothing like that!" Wu insisted, "But she will be able to communicate with certain theropods."

"Vocally?"

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

"Has she shown any signs of lysine deficiency?"

"No . . . I mean, I don't think so . . ." Alan stammered, "I wouldn't know. If she IS lysine deficient, does that mean we have a time limit to reach her?"

"Probably not. Our nurse was supposed to secretly administer a cure for the lysine contingency. We'll have to confirm whether or not she was able to do so before your little squabble."

Alan leaned back in his seat and exhaled deeply.

"Don't worry, Alan," Ian said reassuringly, "Ellie's a capable woman. Besides, nobody in their right mind would _dare_ cross a T-Rex!"

"Actually, she can only remain in her highest form for three hours at a time," Wu explained.

Ian grimaced.

"Well, I'm sure she can handle this situation anyway . . . right?"

Alan sighed.

"Let's not wait to find out."

_***TSJPFEW***_

Ellie stood at the bottom of the perimeter fence, wondering which direction was North. It was hard to see the sun's position with her new eyes, and she needed to know where to go next. She would have to follow the fence until she could identify a familiar structure, but if she were to head north, she could easily navigate a safe route to the Visitors' Center by following the power cables. If she headed south, however, her chances of running into purple-card workers greatly increased, as did her likelihood of being shot.

Ellie teetered back and forth on her feet. She was beginning to feel lightheaded, though it didn't seem to be hunger-related, which was odd. Stranger still, Ellie noticed that she was beginning to glow. What started as a faint aura eventually escalated to a full-blown radiance. Ellie panicked. She didn't want to spontaneously combust! Fortunately for her, she didn't seem to be dying, in fact, she was in no pain at all. She could feel herself shrinking, which meant . . .

"I'm not a T-Rex!" Ellie whooped, clapping her hands and giggling like a ninny.

Thankfully, she had demorphed from her saurian form (fully-clothed, too), which would make her trip home a cinch. Now all she had to do was head north, find the Visitors' Center, and get the hell off this island.

'Chee-roop!'

Ellie jumped. A compsognathus was perched on a decaying log, chirping cutely.

"Hey there, little guy. You gave me quite a fright . . ." she cooed.

Another compsognathus joined him.

"And now you have a friend . . ." she remarked nervously.

A third compsognathus jumped up beside them. Ellie began to walk backwards.

"I'll- I'll just be leaving now . . ."

'Get her!' the first compsognathus shrieked.

Ellie stumbled backwards, running from a horde of twittering compys, who chased her like a flock of ravenous birds. The ground was abuzz with tiny green bodies, all following Ellie as she crashed through the underbrush. They pecked at her heels, sometimes grabbing hold of her shoelaces and causing her to stumble. Thinking fast, Ellie grabbed a low-hanging tree branch and hoisted herself up. The compys were unsure what to do at first, snapping at the air in frustration. Ellie climbed higher as they began to scramble up the tree trunk, using the bark to wall-jump towards her dangling legs. She made it to the highest branch, kicking away the few compys who knew how to climb. One particularly large compsognathus stepped onto her branch. She slammed her foot against the bark.

_CRACK!_

The bough began to splinter with the sudden impact. A rift formed halfway down the branch, revealing the beige linings of the cambium and sapwood. Ellie shifted her legs nervously. Suddenly, the limb lurched downwards, slapping the top of the perimeter fence. The sudden shower of sparks frightened the compys, who skittered out of sight. Their absence went unnoticed, however, for the limb was now sliding across the top of the fence. Although she managed to pull herself away from the fizzling cables, Ellie was unable to grab at anything to save her from the fall. She landed on the ground with a hollow _whump_. It wasn't a particularly painful landing, but it winded Ellie all the same.

After catching her breath, Ellie brushed herself off and examined the situation. The branch had landed beside her (thankfully), and the fence appeared to be fully functional.

It was odd, Ellie thought, that no one had chopped down the tree, as it was clearly dangerous to let it grow so close to the fence. It was a good thing the falling branch hadn't started a fire . . .

It took a while for Ellie to fully comprehend the gravity of her situation. The fall had left her mildly disoriented, though she had only run a short distance beforehand. Despite her negligible change in position, her journey had suddenly become a whole lot less simple.

She was on the other side of the fence.

_***TSJPFEW***_

High above Mount Sibo, an interesting phenomenon was taking place. A vortex of nimbostrati was swirling ominously at the tip of the peak, creating a galaxy-shaped tempest over the island. The spectacle was haunting, to say the least. There was no lightning, no wind, and no rain. The vast behemoth of vapor made no sound whatsoever as it rotated. Even the jungle seemed to be calm in its presence.

The tinnitus-inducing silence was deceptive in nature, as it implied tranquility and peace. In reality, the quietude was laced with fear and suspense. No creature dared to make their presence known. To do so would be akin to banging pots and pans together while a murderer was on the loose. On days such as these, it was possible to hear the creaking of a butterfly's wings.

There were no humans near the northwest mountains of Isla Nublar. Aside from the quickly-fading scars of InGen's infrastructure, the land was pristine, wild, and untamed. It was almost a true Jurassic equilibrium.

Almost.

The key factor that differentiated the northern part of the island from the eastern ecosystem was the abundance in carnivores. There was certainly no shortage in predation, from the hererrasaurs who lived beneath the unfinished roller coaster to the allosaurs who hunted by the seaside cliffs. Even the park's Tyrannosaurus Rex had found refuge up North, though InGen's scientists could no longer determine its exact position, if it was still alive. It was hard to come up with valid data concerning species distribution in the area, for The North was something of a mystery to InGen. The security cameras and motion sensors had been rendered useless ever since the incident, and nobody dared fix them. At InGen, it had become taboo to even _mention_ The North, and with good reason. It was nearly impossible to travel through the mountains without being attacked by some sort of animal, whether it be a theropod or a particularly aggressive herbivore. Aside from Wu's expeditions to recover infant specimens, the land was strictly off-limits to the employees of InGen. This rule was never argued. It was suicide to venture past the perimeter fence, especially when one could find themselves in The Valley of Mists . . .

All in all, The North was an accident waiting to happen, and everybody knew it.  
>It was no surprise, then, that a billowing tempest had begun to form at Sibo's summit. The celestial maelstrom was, after all, a reflection of the jungle below.<p>

As it migrated across the sky, the massive cloud grew larger and larger. Slowly, it blotted out the sun, extending its reach over the southern plains like a shadowy blanket. Every so often, the depths of the tempest would be illuminated by a bolt of lightning, which cut through the darkness like a slit pupil in a cat's eye. This was followed by the grumble of thunder: a threatening growl from the belly of a bloodthirsty beast. One might _expect_ thunder and lightning from a storm such as this. Even so, there was something unsettling about the way it moved.

Perhaps it was the speed of the cloud that gave it a lifelike quality. More likely, it was the lack of organization in its motion. Those who witnessed the storm couldn't quite put their finger on what made it so frightening. Among the hundreds of scientists, mechanics, and miscellaneous employees who tried to explain the phenomenon, there was only one person who allowed herself to identify the trait in question.

As she headed for the East Dock, Alma Rodriguez stared at the sky with awe. She hoped that the storm wouldn't interfere with her travel plans. In her fifteen years of nursehood, Alma had never once resigned from a job. These past few days, however, had been so harrowing that she had had no choice but to quit before the next big disaster. Between death, disease, and employee-based combat, there was really no reason to stay on Isla Nublar. Alma knew this, and she didn't plan to stick around for much longer.

Alma was not particularly intelligent. She was unable to see the world through a broader lens. Despite this (or maybe because of it), she knew exactly what bothered her about the storm. As the cloud formation headed south, the jagged rim of vapor curled over the trees in many places. These extending branches were oddly-shaped, especially for a thundercloud.

The segments, Alma thought, looked strikingly similar to sickle-shaped claws.

_***TSJPFEW***_

It was raining. Ellie had found refuge beneath a blooming cycad, but she was far from dry. The rain trickled through the leaves in thin streams, sometimes soaking her hair as the droplets changed their course. No matter which way she shifted, the water always found her. Always. She may as well be out in the full rain. At least she would be soaked evenly . . .

Ellie plucked a heart-shaped leaf off a neighboring bush and filled in the largest gap above her. After a minute or two, it collapsed under the weight of the rain, drenching her from head to toe. Although she was initially stunned, Ellie found the strength to give a pitiful laugh.

She knew that she must look like hell. Her hair was tangled and half-undone, her clothing was covered in mud and leaves, and she had scrapes all over her legs from the fall off the tree. Most impressively, she was still bleeding lightly from her bullet wounds. As an added bonus, she had a u-shaped bite mark on her ankle, though she couldn't remember when she had acquired it. Apparently, the compys were frisky little buggers.

Ellie sighed.

Two years ago, she couldn't have imagined anything worse than the Jurassic Park fiasco. It was easily the _worst_ experience of her life, and she had wanted nothing more than to forget the whole thing. She should have known that it was impossible to escape InGen's grasp. Hell, she should have known that returning to Jurassic Park was a _terrible_ idea to begin with!

Ellie could feel her energy depleting as she came to terms with her situation. For some reason, her usual let's-make-the-best-of-things attitude wasn't kicking in, and it frightened her. She had never felt so alone, not even during the first incident.

Although she didn't know it, Ellie was slowly slipping into a dangerous state of mind. Instead of planning a route home, she thought about all of the ways she could die in the jungle. If she didn't freeze to death overnight, she'd probably be eaten by some kind of dinosaur. Maybe she'd starve to death . . .

Ellie wondered what her funeral would be like. Would InGen allow an autopsy? Would her family know how she died? There was no way of knowing, Ellie decided. Not that it mattered. Her mother would probably hire some fancy botanist to arrange her flowers. There would be black roses, white orchids, and every single clichéd flower known to man. How ironic. There wouldn't be an open-casket, of course, since her body would most likely be torn to pieces, but there would be a nice photo beside the coffin, probably blurred in the background for dramatic effect. There would be speeches, of course, mostly from her colleagues, though she couldn't imagine what anyone would have to say about her. Something along the lines of "she was always enthusiastic and cheerful", Ellie guessed. Finally, her family and friends would say their last goodbyes. Her parents would go first, of course, as they always had, then Aunt Heather and Uncle Sage, then Alan . . .

Alan.

Ellie bit her lip. Alan was probably looking for her at this very second, and here she was planning her own funeral! She couldn't give up so easily, not when he was going out of his way to save her . . .

There was still hope. As long as she didn't lose her fighting spirit, Ellie had a good chance of finding her way home. No matter how much she wanted to wallow in her own misery, giving up would be a selfish thing to do. She couldn't let Alan feel as though he had failed her: he had already promised that no harm would come to her. For _his_ sake, Ellie would have to prove that she respected his oath. Come rain or shine, hell or high water, Ellie vowed to survive anything and everything that was thrown her way.

As Ian so often said, life would find a way.

_***TSJPFEW***_

"Ellie?! Ellie?! Ell-"

"Save your voice, Alan, you've been shouting for hours . . ." Ian hummed solemnly.

Wu slowed the jeep to a stop.

"It's starting to rain . . ." he pointed out redundantly.

"All the more reason to keep looking!" Alan snapped.

Wu sighed.

"It will be dark soon. Maybe we should continue our search tomorrow . . ."

"That is absolutely out of the question!" Alan hissed, "Ellie is still out there . . ."

"She really isn't in much danger," Wu replied calmly, "She's within the perimeter . . ."

"I don't _care_!" Alan bellowed, "We are NOT leaving her alone, not now, not ever!"

Wu turned to Ian.

"Mr. Malcolm, surely YOU understand the circumstances . . ." he prompted.

"I do," Ian replied.

Alan began to speak, but Ian held up a finger to silence him.

"The, uh, predicament is as follows: we are exhausted, hungry, and low on morale. On top of this, we are about to get rained on. All in all, we are not happy campers."

"Ian . . ." Alan pleaded.

"But . . ." Ian continued, "Although we may feel shitty right now, we have to remember that Ellie is probably ten times as miserable as we are, and it would be a huge mistake to abandon her in the wilderness."

Alan nodded.

"Thank you, Ian," he said with a newfound respect. The two men stared at Wu with a pertinacious air. It was clear that neither of them would budge.

"Look . . ." Wu sighed, "There's no need to be martyrs. We'll extend our search radius and double our men, but you two can return to the hotel for now."

Alan shook his head stubbornly. Ian crossed his arms.

"We aren't going anywhere," Alan affirmed.

Wu sneered.

"Fine. I'll give you a choice. You can either return of your own free will, or you can be dragged back by my security guards."

"So you're threatening us now?" Alan asked.

"It would appear so," Wu hissed.

"You can't hold us hostage! We have rights!" Ian shouted dramatically.

"You are NOT being held hostage," Wu insisted, "If you want to be heroes, fine, have it your way, but you're only hindering our efforts."

"What do you mean, '_hindering your efforts'_? This whole thing is _your_ fault!" Ian sputtered accusingly.

"We are not liable-"

"Feel free to drop the corporate facade, Wu. We all know you screwed up," Alan stated bluntly.

"Don't be insolent! You have _no_ right to challenge my authority-"

"We damn well do!" Alan bellowed, "Until Ellie is safe in my arms, her blood is on your hands . . ."

Ian wasn't listening anymore. He had noticed something peculiar going on in the underbrush. A hand was waving at him from behind a tree, beckoning him to come over. When he didn't respond, Robin jumped out of a bush and started making frantic gestures. Ian surmised that she was trying to mime out instructions. Either that, or she needed immediate medical attention.

"-can't take this to court! Who are they going to believe, InGen or a lunatic who claims that dinosaurs exist? Just ask your friend how well HIS rebellious streak turned out . . ."

Ian scoffed.

"I find your disdain amusing. I'd deck you for good measure, but luckily for you, I have more important things to do. Hold my coat, Alan, I gotta take a whizz."

He handed Alan his jacket and kicked open the car door.

"You're not going anywhere!" Wu roared.

Ian didn't break his pace.

"Oh, but I am, Doc. Unless you feel like scrubbing down your car, that is . . ." he said with a smirk.

Wu growled.

"Hurry up, then. And don't get any ideas . . ."

"What are you, the tinkle-police?" Ian shouted over his shoulder.

"Supercilious bastard! Go on, and be done with it!"

Wu shook his head.

"I've been far too lenient with you two, but I assure you, I won't give an inch from now on . . ."

"You may be king of this island, but your power here is limited," Alan avowed with a grin.

"And why's that?" Wu hissed.

Alan smiled coyly.

"Well, when you gotta go, you gotta go."

_***TSJPFEW***_

Ian ran into the jungle and crouched behind a shrub. He waved at Robin, who crawled over on her hands and knees, trying to avoid Wu's line of sight.

"Alright, you have my attention. What do you want?" Ian whispered.

"I have important information," Robin twittered in a conspiratorial tone.

"Make it quick: Wu thinks I'm taking a leak," he hissed.

Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Well, can YOU think of a better excuse?" he grumbled.

"Fair point," she said with a shrug.

Ian waited.

". . . Well? . . ."

"Well, what?" Robin asked naively.

"Didn't you have something to _tell_ me?" Ian pressed.

"Right. I know how to find Ellie," she beamed proudly.

"That's great! What-"

"MALCOLM!"

"Shit. I don't want to blow my cover. Tell me later."

"Where? How?"

"Meet me at the hotel. I'll get Alan to come along too."

"Cool! I've always wanted to host a secret meeting . . ." Robin gurgled mischievously, "Can we meet at midnight?"

"Sure, sure, whatever you want."

"MR. MALCOLM!"

"I'm coming!"

He stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants.

"Gotta run. See you later . . ."

"Wink, wink!" Robin added.

Ian decided that it was best to ignore her less-than-subtle remark. He dashed over to the jeep and hopped over the side.

"What took you so long?" Alan asked, throwing him his jacket.

Ian shrugged.

"We'll never find Dr. Sattler at this rate!" Wu grumbled irritably, "I'm going to drop you two off at the hotel."

"What? You can't do that! We- oof!"

Ian elbowed Alan in the gut.

"Maybe we should listen to Wu," he said with a wink, "We'll find Ellie eventually . . ."

"And what makes you think that?" Alan whispered.

Ian smiled.

"A little bird told me."


	10. The Post-Mortem Reaction

"I have a bad feeling about this," Alan murmured as they arrived at the hotel. Ian shrugged and opened the door to the lobby.

"It's better than listening to Wu," he snorted, "And if Robin can't help us, we could always sneak out and find Ellie on our own."

"I guess," Alan sighed with exhaustion, "But tell me this: what if we get caught?"

"Relax, everything is going to be- SHIT!"

Alan frowned in confusion. Ian promptly dove under a mahogany table, cowering like a mouse as he put his hands over his head. At first, Alan was perplexed by his behavior. Then he saw Dr. Harding walking down the hall.

"Dr. Grant! I heard about what happened this morning . . ." he said uneasily.

"I suppose everyone knows by now, huh?" Alan huffed. Harding nodded grimly.

"You know, if there's anything I can do to help . . ."

"No, no. It's fine. Wu's already out on patrol."

"Yes, I imagine he'd be eager to find her, with his liability and all . . . Say, is it true that Ian Malcolm is on site?" Harding jabbered.

Alan shifted his feet uncomfortably.

"Er, yeah . . . but I haven't seen him around recently . . ."

"That's strange. Did you know that he's dating my daughter?" Harding asked casually.

Alan gulped.

"He- He might have mentioned it once or twice . . ." he stammered.

"Sarah's nuts about him," Harding continued, "But I have my doubts. I don't think he's particularly upfront."

Alan cocked his head.

"What makes you say that?"

Harding pointed to the ground. Ian's black leather shoes were protruding quite visibly from underneath the tablecloth.

"Ah."

Harding turned away.

"If you see Ian, would you tell him that I'd like to meet him? He seems like a decent guy, but I can't be sure if he keeps avoiding me."

"I don't think he's avoiding you," Alan said with a wink, "He just needs some time to figure things out."

"Sounds good to me. Just let me know if he changes his mind . . ."

"Sure, no problem."

Once Harding was out of sight, Ian stood up and fluffed his jacket casually. He leaned against the wall and crossed his ankles nonchalantly, picking at his nails as though nothing out the ordinary had happened.

"That man has it in for me, I swear!"

Alan just rolled his eyes.

***_TSJPFEW_***

After a few minutes, it became clear that midnight was a terrible time to host a secret meeting. It wasn't even ten o'clock, and Ian was already bored out of his mind. To pass the time, Alan suggested that they play monopoly. Ian didn't know why Alan had packed a board game to begin with, but it turned out to be loads of fun. For tokens, they picked the race car and the top hat. Neither of them really knew the rules, so they made them up as they went. Alan ended up winning, but Ian was still proud of his stack of hotels on Fleet Street. The game didn't last as long as they had anticipated (most likely due to the lenient rules), so they had to come up with a new plan. When Ian saw that Ellie's red yarn was unattended, he had a brilliant idea.

"You sure this is allowed?" Alan asked as he unrolled the yarn.

"Of course not, but it'll be fun!" Ian babbled happily.

"Sometimes, your immaturity surprises me," Alan sighed, "But then I remember who I'm talking to."

"It's all relative, Al. I need to be extra childish to counteract your seriousness."

Alan chuckled.

"You know, you sound just like Ellie."

"Oh, yeah?"

Alan nodded.

"She says that I bring out the best in her, and that she likes being around me 'cause she feels like a better person."

"By comparison?"

Alan snorted.

"Smartass."

They spread out the yarn to its full length. Once they had untangled the ends, they started wrapping it around bedposts and doorknobs.

"So what's this 'Sarah' of yours like?" Alan chatted idly.

"What do you mean?" Ian asked as he tied a piece of string to the smoke detector.

"Well, I dunno. Is she nice? Does she ever ask about Jurassic Park?" Alan wondered aloud.

"Yes, and _double yes_. She's _obsessed_ with the place."

Alan frowned.

"Do you think she might be trying to squeeze information out of you?"

"Oh, sure. She'd do anything to learn more about this god-forsaken park. But we love each other. We really do," Ian said whimsically.

"You don't really strike me as the kind of guy who'd fall in love," Alan remarked.

"Hey, I'm complex!" Ian jested, "Beneath all of this leather and charisma, there's a sweet, loving, sentimental man."

Alan gave a snorting laugh.

"Good one."

"No, really!" Ian insisted, "For instance, I once bought Sarah _flowers_."

"What kind?"

"Hell if I know," Ian guffawed. Alan shook his head.

"You should pay attention to these things. It may come back to haunt you."

"How?" Ian asked mockingly.

"Well . . . Say, for instance, that you happened to buy her favorite flower by accident. If you don't learn its name beforehand, you won't be able to find it again."

"Oh, women don't pay attention to that shit," Ian scoffed.

"They do," Alan replied darkly.

"Well, you're dating a paleobotanist. It's different," Ian said with a shrug. Alan raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe so, but it helps to know these kinds of things."

"Why's that?"

"Because women appreciate it," Alan affirmed with a serious air.

"Sarah's never really been into romance," Ian countered.

Alan began to pace.

"You may THINK that she's above such things, but you'd be wrong," he advised.

"Why do you say that?"

Alan adopted an educational tone of voice.

"You see, Ian, a woman is a lot like a tree . . ."

"Oh, boy. I can tell that this is going to be patronizing," Ian huffed, rolling his eyes.

"First, you have the bark. This is what a woman _appears_ to be, but you can't find out who she really is until you examine her deeper layers."

"So I should chop Sarah in half?" Ian joked.

"Next, you have the cambium. This is the personality," Alan continued.

"Does that mean that the bark represents attractiveness?" Ian teased.

"We already talked about the bark," Alan interjected. Ian waved his hand floppily.

"Fine. Continue."

"Deeper down, there's the sap wood. It represents the emotional needs of your partner."

"Ha! A play on words," Ian pointed out.

"Precisely. The sap wood is the primordial desire in women to eat chocolate and watch romantic comedies."

"Is the male equivalent bacon and action thrillers?" Ian wondered.

"Finally, you have the heartwood," Alan said, ignoring him.

"And what's in there?"

Alan frowned.

"The heart, Ian. It's called _heart_wood," he groaned.

"You DO know that the heart isn't actually responsible for emotions, right?" Ian yawned. Alan rolled his eyes.

"It's a metaphor, Ian," he grumbled with frustration.

"Eh, whatever. In all honesty, I think that you should leave the tree analogies to Ellie."

"Oh, yeah? Well, how about this: an angry woman is like a velociraptor . . ."

"Graceful, cunning, and deadly?" Ian guessed.

"No. She rips out your guts and eats you alive," Alan said as he tied the last piece of yarn, "Voilà! We have laser-beams!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

It was almost midnight.

Robin stared at her watch intensely, silently willing it to go faster. She intended to arrive at the stroke of midnight, right on queue. It was a pity that there were no clocks around: she would have enjoyed the dramatic flair of a resonant chime.

11:53

Robin sighed. She had arrived _way _too early, and there was nothing to keep her occupied while she waited. Maybe she could pace for a bit . . .

11:55

Five minutes. That wasn't too long.

Oh.

It was still 11:53. She really needed glasses . . .

11:54

Time was so _slow_. Why couldn't the earth spin faster?

11:54

Come on . . .

11:54

Any time, now . . .

11:54

Oh, forget it!

Robin knocked on the door. She could hear a muted kerfuffle from inside.

"Shhh! No, I'll get it . . . Quiet! We have to check . . ."

Robin shuffled her feet impatiently.

"Who is it?" a cheerful voice sang from inside.

"Robin," she whispered, checking that she was alone in the hallway.

"What's the secret password?" Ian joked.

"Wallaby!"

"What are you- Oh, never mind. Come in," he said, opening the door.

Robin stepped inside. The room was decorated very peculiarly. There seemed to be red yarn tied to every knob and protruding structure, including the smoke detector.

"We made lasers," Ian explained.

"What for?" Robin asked cheerfully.

"Just for fun," Alan said with a shrug.

"You wouldn't _believe_ how agile Alan is! He's a gazelle!" Ian gaped.

"I am NOT a gazelle!" Alan huffed, "I'm a cheetah."

"Well, the game is no fun if you don't play fair," Ian quipped.

Robin's eyes darted back and forth awkwardly. She wasn't able to get a word in edgewise. Maybe it was best to smile and nod . . .

"Enough banter, Ian. We should get down to business," Alan insisted.

"Sure, sure. So what's your plan?" Ian asked, leading Robin into the room.

"Well . . . As you know, I am also a carrier of the theropod virus, just like Ellie. Because of this, I can communicate with certain dinosaurs."

"But how can you be sure that they understand you?" Alan asked. Robin rubbed her chin.

"It's hard to explain. When I listen to the theropods, it's like hearing another language, only I translate it subconsciously. I certainly didn't expect it, at first. For a while, I thought I was hearing voices!" she laughed nervously.

"So can you tell the, uh, dinosaurs to keep us off the menu?"

Robin shrugged.

"I could try, but there's no guarantee they'll listen. Besides, I can only understand bambiraptors, allosaurs, dilophosaurs, and compsognathuses. Well, raptors too, but they aren't really the friendly type. Other than that, I can't really make out what the others are saying. It's like listening to German. I can pick up some words, but the linguistics are completely different."

"And what does this have to do with your plan?" Alan asked patiently. Robin grinned.

"I'm glad you asked. See, I'm on good terms with the bambies, so I told them to keep an eye out for Ellie. Once she's been spotted, we'll nab a jeep and rescue her."

"Brilliant," Ian said, clapping his hands, "But you're forgetting several important details."

"Like what?" Robin whined, disappointed that he had _so little_ faith in her scheme.

"Well, uh, first of all, how do you plan to get a jeep?"

"I stole my supervisor's keys," she giggled, shaking them childishly.

"And how long do you expect the bambies to take? What if your supervisor notices that his keys are missing?"

"Not long, and he won't: Jay's always losing his trinkets," she smirked.

"And the bambies?" Alan pressed.

"They should be arriving at my flat at any moment," Robin asserted.

"Then what are we doing _here_?" Alan exclaimed. Robin gasped excitedly and clapped her hands.

"Why don't we all go down to my place?" she twittered, "I mean, if you guys don't mind . . ."

"Sure, why not?" Ian said.

"Omigoshomigoshomigosh! This is going to be _SO_ much fun! We should pull an all-nighter! I have plenty of jellybeans and whipped cream, so we can stay up as long as we want!"

Something about Ian's smile indicated that the idea of a sugar-filled Robin was horrifying to him. Alan was harder to read, but Robin could tell that he had reservations too.

"Y- You know . . . If you guys _want _to, that is. Maybe it'd be more efficient if I went alone . . ." she whimpered. Alan exhaled slowly.

"No, no. We'll come with you. The sooner we find Ellie, the better."

"YAY! I mean . . . good," she said professionally, "I hope you're not allergic to cats."

***_TSJPFEW_***

It wasn't long before the three of them encountered their first major setback. By a matter of (extremely unfortunate) coincidence, the crew ran into Robin's supervisor on the way to her room. She quickly whipped up some cock-and-bull story about showing Alan and Ian the new gumball machine, but Jay didn't buy it for a second. Because of this, they had to pay a visit to the arcade. After purchasing their candy, they snuck out the back door and resumed their mission.

"Sorry about that. He can be a real jerk sometimes," Robin apologized.

"Let's just hope that we don't need to take any more detours," Ian mumbled.

As the group approached Robin's room, it was possible to hear a muffled dialogue taking place inside. After jimmying the lock, Robin opened the door and ran up to her television set.

"Sorry, I had a movie playing," she hummed awkwardly, "Do either of you know how to operate a DVD machine?"

Ian stepped forward.

"Let me try . . ."

He bent over and began fiddling with the device.

'-our world, and the world was dark because there weren't any robins, and the robins represented lo-'

_Click._

The screen flickered, but quickly went to static. Ian pushed the channel button.

'_So no one told you life was gonna be this way . . ._'

Ian shrugged.

"Well, at least I got it onto TV. Kind of. Any other ideas?"

"Hey, don't ask _me_," Alan urged, "Technology is NOT my strong suit."

"I know that feeling," Robin drawled, "Jay kept ranting and raving about his DVD player, so I decided to give it a try. So far, I haven't had any luck with my machine, but he keeps pestering me about it . . ."

"And you, uh . . . trust him?" Ian asked, though his tone suggested that he already knew the answer.

"No, no . . . Jay's been wrong about this kind of thing before. But Trixie is starting to sell her videocassettes, which makes me wonder . . ."

"Are they damaged?" Alan asked.

"Not at all!" Robin marveled, "They're brand new, and she's selling them for only _ten dollars_!

"Ten dollars? She must be crazy!" Ian piped up as he unplugged the television set.

"That's what_ I_ said, but she's convinced that they're becoming obsolete."

Without warning, a fluffy mass of ginger fur rubbed against Alan's leg.

"Mrrraaa . . ."

Robin picked it up.

"Sorry, I forgot to introduce you to Orange. Say hi, kitty . . ."

The cat stared vacantly at Alan with strabismic eyes.

"Awwwrrr . . ." it gurgled stupidly.

"Isn't he a cutie?" Robin gushed, "He's a persian, you know. Very fancy."

"Garrrwl . . ."

Ian examined the cat closely.

"Is he- Is he supposed to be making those sounds? . . ." he asked nervously. Robin laughed.

"Oh, sure. Orange is _always_ like this. I think he might be a tad inbred . . ."

The cat stuck out its tongue and squished it up his nostril.

"He's probably just ahead of his time," Ian mumbled sarcastically, "So, where are these bambies of yours?"

"They travel quickly. If they've found Ellie, we'll know soon enough."

"That's a vague estimate," Alan grumbled, "What if they don't return?"

Robin frowned.

"They _won't_ let us down."

"How do you know?" Ian asked.

"I made them swear the Camp Mihkwaskikanew Oath," she proclaimed regally.

"The what?" they asked in unison.

"Don't tell me you've never been to Camp Mihkwaskikanew . . ."

"Errr . . ."

Robin gasped with indignance.

"Camp Mihkwaskikanew is the _best _camp in the world! We learned to pitch tents, tie knots, and light fires."

"Really? That's fascinating," Ian drawled with feigned interest.

"Well, the _other_ kids did, anyway. I just sat in the cabin and read Charlotte's Web. It was my favorite . . ." Robin gushed.

"Ellie's too," Alan sighed.

"Really? That's neat . . ." Robin twittered, "Do you want to hear the Camp Mihkwaskikanew cheer?"

"I get the feeling we have no choice in the matter," Ian grumbled.

"SHOW YOUR SPIRIT, SHOW YOUR FLAIR! WAVE YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR! GO MIHKWASKIKANEW! GO MIHKWASKIKANEW! PEE-PEE-TSOO! PEE-PEE-TSOO! PEE-PEE-TSOOOOOOOOOH!"

Orange howled along with her as she cheered. Alan and Ian stepped backwards slowly.

"Well, it looks like the bambies didn't show up after all . . ." Ian said quickly, "Maybe we should find-"

'SCREET!'

"That's them! That's them!" Robin cried as she opened the patio door.

'SCREETSCREET!' a single bambi shrieked.

"What's he saying?" Alan asked.

"Nothing yet: he's just getting my attention."

She began chirping at the bambi, who listened intently. Orange slunk away from the strange creature with fright, eventually sticking his head under the fridge. After exchanging a brief dialogue with the tiny raptor (presumably), Robin turned to her guests.

"Blitzen says that Ellie was spotted by a compsognathus earlier today."

"And?" Alan pressed.

"He saw a rival pack chase her along the perimeter fence. She fell out of a tree and landed on the other side, but she wasn't seriously injured."

"Thank god! Where is she now?" Alan asked.

"Hang on, I'll check."

Robin picked up the dinosaur and held him at eye level. She barked and hooted at the animal with a serious expression. When he answered, Robin's face turned pale. She set him down gently and turned to Alan.

"Well? Where is she?" he asked impatiently.

Robin bit her lip.

"She's headed North."

***_TSJPFEW_***

"HELLO?" Ellie screamed, "IS ANYONE THERE?"

Although she had reservations about calling for help, Ellie decided that she wasn't going to be rescued if she didn't make her presence known. Then again, she could be found by a predator just as easily. Still, she was having trouble finding another way over the fence. Dilemmas, dilemmas. Weren't there supposed to be guards posted at even intervals? Were they on break? Maybe they were looking for her . . .

If all else failed, Ellie supposed that she could find a way to pry open the wiring. That being said, it was dangerous to do so, especially if another animal could breach the perimeter afterwards. It was just as well: she had nothing to cut the wires with, and she didn't want to risk injury (Was a wooden stick an insulator if it was wet?). For the time being, she'd have to call for help.

"HELLO? ALAN? IAN? ANYBODY?"

No response. Maybe she'd have to change her tactics . . .

"¡Socorro!" she shouted, trying desperately to remember what she had learned in her fifth grade Spanish class.

"Um . . . Auxilio, por favor?" Ellie added weakly.

_SNAP!_

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Deep within the bushes, Ellie could hear a light whispering. Someone was on _her _s_ide of the fence _. . .

"I- I need help . . ."

She froze. A graceful figure had appeared a few yards from where she was standing.

The animal blended in well among the foliage: its leathery skin was as brown as tree bark. It stood on two legs, scanning the area with bright green eyes. Its teeth glimmered like ivory knives. There was no mistaking it: the animal was a velociraptor. Ellie ducked down and grabbed a rock. She didn't know whether she should fight or flee. Luckily for her, she hadn't been spotted-

'SCREEEEEEEEE!'

The attack came suddenly, from the left and right. Two juvenile raptors burst from the foliage, leaping at Ellie from each side. She rolled over and threw her stone. Luckily, she managed to catch one of the raptors in the jaw.

'AH! She hit me!' he said in a distinctly male voice.

'And there's more where that came from!' Ellie hissed, throwing another rock.

'What the- OW! Hey, stop that!' he whimpered.

Before Ellie could escape, the third raptor blocked her path.

'Don't let her push you around! Grab her!' she screeched.

'But she-'

'NOW!'

Oh, god. She was teaching them to hunt! Ellie was about to be eaten by _raptors-in-training_!

'I'll get her! I'm faster!' the other male boasted.

Ellie scuttled away as quickly as possible, but she couldn't outrun the raptor. He took a running pounce at her, knocking them both into the fence. They fell apart, stunned from electricity.

'She's immobilized! Now's your chance!'

This was the end. There was no way she was getting out of this one.

Ellie closed her eyes. She was about to be eaten alive! If only she had been killed by the electric fence . . . 

Electric fence. 

Wait a minute . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robin trailed behind Alan and Ian, pleading desperately for them to slow down.

"Look, maybe we should think this through. I don't-"

She tripped over a loose cable in the hotel lobby.

"I don't think you two understand what's at stake here . . ." she finished.

"Of course we do!" Alan snapped, "Ellie's in danger. That's all we need to know."

"Fine, fine," Robin sighed, "But we aren't ready for an expedition! The North is a sinister place. There's raptors and compys and trikes . . ."

"Oh, my!" Ian quipped.

Robin shot him a nasty glance.

"Look, I'm not saying we _shouldn't_ go, but we ought to arm ourselves or something first . . ."

Alan ignored her and headed out the front door with Ian close behind. Robin growled angrily and ran after them.

"We need guns: _lots_ and _lots_ of guns. If we go out now, we're sitting ducks!"

"That's why we're going to find Wu," Ian explained.

"WHAT?! Are you _crazy_? You know how unhelpful Wu is! He's not a leader, he's not a businessman, he's not even a proper scientist! He's a _FRAUD_! Besides, it's almost one o'clock. Do you _really_ think it's worth waking him up when he'll just shoot you down anyway?"

Alan stopped.

"She's got a point."

"But Wu said he'd send more men to-" Ian began.

"Do you believe him? I don't see anyone out here," Alan grumbled.

Robin nodded furiously.

"He's a liar and a fiend! Mad with power, _that's_ what he is! He'd do anything to get this park up and running, even if it involves sending people to their deaths. Hammond kept him on a tight leash, but now that Ludlow's in charge . . ."

"He can't be restrained," Ian whispered.

"Well, _kind_ _of_," Robin said, changing her tone, "But the board doesn't completely own InGen yet, and Hammond's been fighting desperately to get it back."

"Will he be able to do it?" Alan asked. Robin rubbed her chin.

"I dunno . . . It seems to me that the two of them are juggling InGen back and forth. It's like hot-potato, only they each WANT the potato, and it's filled with dinosaurs. No, wait! I have a better analogy . . ."

"Never mind that!" Alan barked, "We need to solve this problem . . ."

"Right. Instead of wondering what poked a hole in our boat, we need to search for a cork," Ian added.

Robin smiled.

"Exactly! All Wu cares about is his business, and that's not going to get us anywhere. We should go out on our own!" she suggested.

"Five minutes ago, you said it was too dangerous . . ." Alan recalled.

"Well, sure! But it's worth the risk if I can redeem myself."

"_What_?"

Uh-oh.

She had said something wrong, hadn't she? The expression on Alan's face made her feel like she had been spotted eating a hamburger at a vegetarian buffet. Maybe she could take the edge off her remark . . .

"I mean . . . Well, it'd be nice to get a little respect, right? After we save Ellie, of course . . ."

"You're just as bad as Wu," Alan hissed.

"What? I am _NOT_. Wu lies for his own personal gain, whereas I-"

They raised their eyebrows.

"Okay, _fine_. I'm just like Wu. But can you really blame me? I've been pushed around my whole life, and especially at InGen! The few friends I _have_ are eaten and maimed right in front of me! Do you know how that _feels_?"

Robin sensed that her defense was slowly evolving into an emotional breakdown.

"I had to_ lie_ to my family to keep this place a secret. They won't even _talk_ to me anymore! The worst part is, everyone else gets to break the rules, but whenever _I_ step out of line, I get pushed into the ditch! They let Harding disclose minor details to his family, they let Trixie steal nail polish from other dimensions, they let Yannick punch an alligator in the face . . . but what happens when _I_ try to do those things? I get the short end of the stick! I'll bet you didn't know that Jay is my half-brother, did you? The way he treats me, you'd think we were _mortal enemies_. He told my mother that I was in a mental institution near San José. Do you know how _messed up_ that is?"

Robin sniffed. She didn't want to cry, but it was beyond her control . . .

"I fail to see how taking a couple of DVDs from another world causes any more time paradoxes than Trixie's stupid obsession with Shellac! And Yannick? Well, they _fired_ him, but that's not the whole story. See, the only reason anyone keeps me around is because they think that I'm too_ stupid_ to figure anything out. They tell me all of their secrets, and I just have to play along and hope that someone will finally_ listen_ to me and _do_ something about it! But they don't. They never do," Robin sobbed, "I can't _live_ like this anymore . . ."

"We're sorry, Robin, really, we are, but there's nothing we can do to help you," Alan said gently, "We don't stand a chance against InGen."

Robin shook her head.

"I know. But we can't just run from our troubles. Neither Hammond nor Ludlow have the power to run this island. Wu controls everything, right down to the genetic fabric of our dinosaurs. Hammond wanted to build a park, Ludlow wanted to make money, but Wu . . ."

"Doesn't he want to rebuild Jurassic Park too?" Ian asked.

"Not for the same reasons as the others. He wanted his work to be publishable. Now that _that's_ no longer an option, who do you think is going to be first in line when he sells these secrets?"

"Who?"

Robin shivered.

"Remember how I said that a Wu from a different world wanted to build a genetically modified automaton to do his bidding?"

"Something like that, yeah . . ." Ian recalled.

"You _know_ how dangerous these animals can be . . ."

"Of course!" Ian confirmed.

"Imagine how much _worse _they would be if Wu began to redesign them with another purpose in mind."

"What purpose?" Alan asked.

"_Military_ purpose."

"That can't be legal . . ." Ian interjected.

"Do you think the government _cares_ about the ethics behind genetic engineering? They don't need to know WHY a creature has teeth, venom, or chromatophores. If they can stay one step ahead of their enemy, they'll buy _anything_, no questions asked."

"But the dinosaurs will turn on them, just like they did here. If genetically enhanced dinosaurs escape on the mainland . . ."

"No. It's even worse than that," Robin said darkly.

"Why?" Alan asked, dreading the answer.

"Because their plan is going to work."

"Impossible," Ian scoffed, "These animals are unpredictable. They don't follow orders!"

Robin nodded.

"You're right."

She held out her hand and morphed it into a raptor claw.

"But _people_ do."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Needless to say, the velociraptors were NOT expecting a fully-grown T-Rex to appear out of nowhere. The second transformation was smoother than it had been the first time. Ellie didn't fight it this time: she needed to intimidate the raptors as quickly as possible.

And intimidate them, she did.

Like most animals, raptors don't possess particularly versatile facial muscles. Sixty-five million years ago, these creatures didn't follow social queues in a mammalian fashion, and with good reason. There wasn't much evolutionary advantage to be gained from wearing one's heart on one's sleeve, as it were. Unlike humans, dinosaurs had no need to communicate their emotions through complex expressions. For this reason, it is hard to tell what a raptor is feeling. Despite this, it was clear to Ellie that these particular raptors were scared _shitless_. It was almost amusing to see them scramble away like frightened seagulls . . . Actually, it was kind of refreshing to be the one scaring people. Even so, Ellie decided to motor it before they could call in reinforcements.

If her last episode was an accurate representation of her condition, she would be able to rely on her size for a few hours. In that time, she would have to avoid any non-saurian animals, namely humans. If she could ask another dinosaur for directions, maybe she could find out where she was headed.

It was worth a try.

Besides, who in their right mind would argue with a T-Rex?

***_TSJPFEW_***

"You make a very good point, but what does any of this have to do with Ellie?" Ian said, pushing Robin's raptor-hand away gently.

"Well, she contains the genetic makeup of one of the most fearsome creatures to walk the Earth. I think you can figure out why she'd be an asset to Wu," Robin explained pointedly.

"Ellie would _never_ agree to help Wu," Alan argued.

"I know, but he doesn't need HER specifically, as long as he has her DNA. As we speak, he's trying to find a way to transfer the activated virus to men . . . which I find kind of sexist, don't you?"

"Has he found a way?" Alan asked.

"Not yet, but he's getting close."

"How close?"

Robin shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. He's trying to find an alternative to the post-mortem reaction, but I doubt-"

"Post-mortem? As in after-death?" Alan wondered.

"Sorry, sometimes I forget that you don't _know_ things . . . The post-mortem reaction occurs when an infected individual, male or female, is killed by a dinosaur. If the body isn't significantly damaged, it will be resurrected in saurian form."

"I don't follow."

"Think zombie, but worse. If any one of us gets mauled to death, we come back as that dinosaur. I've seen my coworkers _turn on_ each other . . . It's _not_ pretty."

"That seems awful. I don't want to be responsible for the deaths of my friends," Ian said grimly.

"Well, it might not come to that. It's possible to restore the person's memories with strong emotional queues, but only in certain cases. Anyway, we won't have to worry about that, if we . . . Well, if we try not to die."

"_Try not to die_!" Ian mimicked, "Any other bits of advice, 'O Wise One'?"

"Yes," a fourth voice hissed.

Wu and his henchmen stepped out of the jungle.

"Don't disclose company secrets while your boss is in earshot."


	11. Phase 3

"Let go of me! This is police brutality!"

"We're not police, ma'am."

". . . This is SECURITY GUARD brutality! Help! Heeeeeeeeelp!"

Alan watched in horror as Robin was dragged away.

"I hope she didn't upset either of you with her . . . _erroneous_ information," Wu said plainly.

"I'm telling the truth!" Robin screamed.

"You mustn't take her tinfoil-hat conspiracies to heart: she's a tad deranged . . ."

"Wu's a madman! Run for your lives!" she shrieked as she was dragged over the crest of a hill. Alan and Ian did not move an inch.

"Let her go, Wu," Alan whispered menacingly.

"You _know_ that I can't let a potentially dangerous person roam freely: she might hurt someone," Wu drawled with mock-concern.

"Robin's not _dangerous_!" Ian exclaimed with disbelief. Wu sneered.

"If you are going to cause trouble, you will have to join her."

"You'll have to catch me first . . ." Ian said cockily.

"You can't run from me," Wu hissed.

"Feh! You're not _omnipotent_, you know," Ian scoffed.

Wu smiled.

"I don't _have_ to be. Do you_ really_ think that I can't identify a gimpy leg? Tell me, Mr. Malcolm, was your tibia broken cleanly, or was it a compound fracture? Your limp seems to suggest the latter, though you've done well to conceal it."

Suddenly, Ian's lack of maneuverability made perfect sense. Alan felt ashamed. How many times had they forced Ian to jog?

"Ian . . ."

"Alan, don't-"

"Why didn't you tell us? . . ."

"I- I don't know . . . I didn't want you to feel bad."

"We made you walk up that path . . ."

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light from the other side of the hill.

'SCREETSCREETSCREETSCREET!'

A tiny dinosaur scampered across the field, screeching as it went.

"Don't let her get away!" Wu shouted.

The dinosaur darted between his legs as he tried to grab it, causing him to fall over in a comedic fashion.

"Should we run?" Ian asked.

"After you."

As they bolted away from Wu and his pursuing henchmen, Alan and Ian heard the sound of a revving engine. Shortly after, the air was filled with a chorus of confused screams. Above all of the racket, a single victorious cry resounded like Gabriel's trumpet.

"PEE-PEE-TSOO!"

Robin had somehow hijacked a nearby jeep, and was making her way towards Alan and Ian at an alarming speed.

"Hop in!" she twittered as she screeched to a halt.

"Robin, you are fantastic," Ian said admiringly.

"I try," she blushed, "Don't forget to buckle up: it's going to be a bumpy ride!"

Robin slammed her foot against the gas pedal, causing them to kick up a cloud of dust before speeding towards Wu and his men.

"Uh, don't you think you're going a bit fast?" Ian shouted over the motor. Alan clung to the sides of his seat with white knuckles.

"If you don't slow down, we won't be able to make it around those guards!" he gasped.

Robin grinned insanely.

"We're not going _around _them: we're going _through_ them!"

"WHAT?! Are you _CRAZY_?!" Ian screamed.

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Hold this."

Robin plopped a plastic sphere into Ian's lap.

"Nitrous oxide?" he read from the label.

"It's laughing gas, Ian," Alan explained, "Throw it at the guards to buy us some time!"

"When?"

"_NOW_!" Robin shouted.

Ian pulled the plug and threw the canister behind them. As it released the pressurized gas, the sphere spiraled like a firecracker.

"Al-_right_!" Ian laughed as they drove away.

"Looks like he was a real _Wu_-ser after all!" Robin giggled.

Wu staggered and began to roll around on the ground. Soon, his henchmen were cackling like a pack of hyenas. Wu slammed his fist to the ground.

"I'm going to- HAHAHA- _kill_ you, Robin! HAHAHA!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

It was amazing how much respect Ellie could command when she was a seven-ton dinosaur. Although she hadn't encountered any more raptors (and she certainly had no problem with that), the herrerasaurs turned out to be quite friendly once she had persuaded them to help her, even sending two escorts to guide her home. That being said, they weren't particularly bright. Ellie imagined that they were the "jocks" of the park: they seemed intimidating at first, but their crudeness put them at a severe disadvantage. Not that it mattered: as long as they kept their dappled heinies in gear, she'd be back in no time.

'So I says to the compy, I says: you may be the leader of your pack, but I'm bigger than the all of you's!'

'And wha'dhe say?'

'Oh, I don't know. They's hard to understand, them compys. Am I right?'

The herrerasaur turned to Ellie, awaiting her response.

'Oh, um . . . Yeah,' she stuttered, 'Their dialect is _atrocious_ . . .'

With this, they barked jovially, making Ellie jump with surprise.

'Hey, I like this girl. Where'dya say you was from?' the taller herrerasaur gobbled.

'Um, well, you see-'

'Stop pestering her, will ya?' the other dinosaur hissed.

'I'm not _pestering _her! Tell him, doll.'

'Uhhh . . .'

'See? She don't want to talk to you.'

'There ain't no harm in askin' que-shuns. I'm just wond'rin why a dinosaur such as yourself is try'na find the Visitors' Center. Don'tcha know it's fulla scientists?' he barked.

''Course she knows, you idiot! What, do you think she was born yesterday?' the short one yapped reproachingly.

'Naw, she's _much_ too big for that.'

'I beg your pardon?' Ellie growled.

'Oh, don't listen to him. He ain't never seen a T-Rex before. He don't know what to expect, see?' the short one chortled.

'So how old are ya, anyways?' the tall one beamed.

'Twenty-eight.'

The herrerasaurs screeched to a halt. Oh, no. She had given herself away, hadn't she? Even with an extended lifespan, no dinosaur at InGen would be in their twenties by now. Ellie gave herself a mental kick for being so stupid.

'I . . . I mean eight. Eight years old . . .'

The herrerasaurs exchanged a worried look.

'You know, I could probably find my way back from here . . .' Ellie stammered as she struggled to walk backwards through the underbrush. The herrerasaurs pursued her, slowly adopting a hostile posture.

'You's a spy, ain't ya?'

'What? No!' Ellie shrilled.

'You must be one of them shape-shifters!'

'No!'

'Did Wu send you?'

Ellie sighed. She would have to tell the truth. She took a deep breath and looked the dinosaurs straight in the eyes.

'Okay, fine. I'm not a T-Rex, but I don't mean you two any harm. I don't work for Wu, in fact, I'm not particularly fond of him, considering he didn't tell me that I was infected in the first place-'

'A likely story. Prepare to die,' the short one hissed.

'_What_? Isn't that a bit _harsh_? I don't want any trouble . . .' Ellie stammered.

They fanned out their claws menacingly. Ellie scowled and braced herself for a fight.

'Fine. Have it your way. But you don't stand a chance against a fully grown T-Rex such as myself . . .'

Suddenly, Ellie began to glow. The herrerasaurs backed away with fright, shielding their eyes. When they lowered their arms, she was back to her usual size. The short one laughed.

'Well, this makes things a _lot_ easier . . .' he hissed.

Ellie backed away slowly. She knew that she couldn't outrun the dinosaurs, especially at such a close proximity. She was no match for their brawn, either. This left her with one option: it was time to use her people-skills.

"Listen, I don't-"

'What's she _on_ about? I can't understand a word she's saying . . .'

Oh, no! She wasn't speaking their language anymore, was she? Would it even be _possible_ to communicate with them in human form?

'Kill her!'

'Wait, stop!' Ellie screamed as they lunged at her.

'What is it _now_?' the tall one hissed.

'Uh, well . . . Before you eat me, there's something you should know . . .' Ellie stammered.

'She's stalling! Kill her now!' the short one snapped.

'Why don't YOU kill her?' the tall one whined.

'Because you're always complaining that I never let you _do _anything!' he replied, turning away from Ellie.

'So?'

'So, now's your chance! Go bite her head off or something . . .'

'Ew, I'm not gonna _bite her head off_!'

'Why not?'

'Her hair might get stuck in my teeth!'

'That's ridiculous! What's so bad about hair?'

'It's all stringy and gross . . .'

'_So tear out her throat_! I don't care HOW you kill her, just get the job done!'

'What's your hurry? She's not about to fl- Hey! Where'd she go?'

During their argument, Ellie had scrambled up a tall banyan tree (ficus macrophylla, to be exact). The short herrerasaurus spotted her and clawed at the ground angrily.

'Oh, that's just_ perfect_! How are we supposed to get her _now_?'

'We could climb . . .'

'Don't be _stupid_. Only _humans_ can climb trees . . .'

'Actually, that's not true. Most predatory animals are able to climb, even if they don't live in the jungle,' Ellie shouted from above.

'Shut up, you!'

'Just sayin' . . .'

The short herrerasaur approached the base of the trunk hesitantly. He reached out and dug his claws into the bark.

'I see that your arms are pronated. Were you born that way? I don't think that's _natural_ . . .' Ellie chirped.

'Are you insulting me?' he growled.

'No, no. Not at all,' Ellie replied breezily, 'I'm just wondering whether or not the amphibian DNA has anything to do with your deformity . . .'

'What?' he barked.

'When Wu cloned you, he filled in the genetic gaps with frog DNA. You know Wu, right?' Ellie asked.

'OF COURSE I KNOW WU!' the herrerasaur roared as he tried to hoist himself up.

'Yeah, I thought so. You mentioned him earlier. I find it peculiar that you were able to identify him, since you don't seem to understand English.'

'Hey, I may not be as smart as a velociraptor, but I can recognize speech patterns. I listened to the scientists a lot when I was a chick. They'd use his name whenever he was- OOF!'

The bark splintered under his weight, causing him to fall on his back.

'Do you need help?' the tall herrerasaur called from where he was seated.

'I'm FINE!'

Ellie leaned back against the trunk, dangling her legs over each side of the branch. It was clear that this wasn't going anywhere, but she'd have to wait for them to give up before she could leave.

'So, do you two have names?' she asked casually.

The short herrerasaur pressed his foot against the tree for leverage.

'Of course not! Names are useless to dinosaurs!'

'But how do you tell each other apart? What if someone wants to call you over?'

'We don't- need- names!' he grunted as he pulled himself up.

'You sure? Because it'd make things a lot easier . . .'

He hissed pointedly.

'Well, to each their own, I suppose. My name's Ellie, by the way.'

'I don't care!'

Suddenly, the bark peeled under his weight.

'No, no, no, no, no!'

_CRACK!_

He thrashed around with all four limbs embedded in the chunk of wood. The tall herrerasaur snickered.

'Shut up! Just _shut up_!'

'It_ is_ kind of funny . . .' Ellie said through laughter.

The herrerasaur freed himself and snarled angrily.

'That _does_ it! I'm coming up there, whether you like it or not!'

He slammed against the tree trunk with fury and began to hoist himself up.

'You know, it'd be a lot easier if you'd alternate between your arms and your legs . . .' Ellie suggested.

'If I wanted your opinion, I'd _ask_ for it!'

'Fair enough. What about _you_?' she asked the other herrerasaur, 'Aren't_ you_ going to try?'

'Naw, I think I'll stay here. He doesn't seem to be making much progress . . .'

Indeed, the short one's tail was only an inch off the ground, and he was panting heavily.

'Besides, we can't _both_ climb the tree,' he finished.

Ellie leaned forward on the branch and beckoned him to come closer. He cocked his head curiously and waddled over. Ellie cupped her hand over one side of her mouth very discreetly.

'Just between you and me, I think you could help him reach that branch over there if you let him stand on your shoulders,' she whispered sotto-voce.

After thinking it through, the tall herrerasaur padded over to his friend and pushed him up with his snout.

'Hey! Hey! What's the big idea?'

'Grab the branch!'

The short one seemed confused at first, but he soon realized that it was, in fact, a very good idea. He hoisted himself up with difficulty, kicking his friend in the face. Once he had steadied himself, he used the surrounding branches as stepping stones, growing more and more confident with each leap. Ellie blinked and sat up. He was ascending at an alarming rate . . .

'You are a fool, human! Soon, you'll be nothing more than a rotting carcass!'

Ellie slid away from the trunk as he approached her branch. After a particularly spirited jump, he managed to scramble to the top. Ellie sat up straight. They now stood face-to-face, but she wasn't particularly worried. The herrerasaur noticed her nonchalant expression and chuckled.

'I'm much quicker than you, human. You won't be able to push me off.'

'I know,' Ellie said simply, 'I don't intend to put up a fight. You can eat at your leisure.'

He opened his mouth, salivating messily.

'But before you do, tell me this: how do you plan to get down?'

The herrerasaur paused. He clearly hadn't noticed how high the tree was. When he peeked over the edge, he snapped into a submissive pose, wrapping his arms and legs around the branch protectively.

'Hey, boss. What's taking so long?' the tall one shouted from below.

Ellie could feel the branch shaking as he shivered.

'T-t-t-too high! C-c-c-can't get d-d-d-down!'

'You know, it's really too bad that after _all of that_, you're going to snap your neck when you jump off . . .' Ellie said coyly.

'H-h-h-help me . . .' he whimpered.

'Gee, I dunno . . .' she drawled.

'P-p-p-please!' he begged. Ellie smiled.

'Well, since you asked _nicely_ . . .'

She crawled further down the branch. The herrerasaur didn't move.

'Follow me,' she said, waving her hand. The herrerasaur eased forward gingerly, but froze when the branch began to bend under his weight.

'We're too heavy! The branch is going to bend over!' he shrieked.

'That's the idea!'

Ellie pulled him forward. He resisted, but she was persistent. They continued to bend the branch until it dipped low enough for Ellie to step down. She held onto the end to keep it from jerking back up.

'Alright, now hop off!' she said cheerfully.

He looked over the edge once more. Seeing that he was no longer in danger, the herrerasaur rolled to the ground. As soon as he was down, the branch whipped upwards, yanking itself out of Ellie's hands. The tall herrerasaur trotted over to comfort his recovering friend.

'Moreton Bay Fig trees are like springs,' Ellie explained, 'The branches can bend very far before breaking.'

The herrerasaur stood up shakily. Ellie helped him to his feet.

'You okay?'

He nodded, though his eyes were still glazed over with fear. His companion nudged him with the tip of his snout.

'Stop that! I'm _fine_!' he snapped.

'Glad to hear it, boss!'

The short herrerasaur turned to Ellie.

'YOU, on the other hand, are about to be eaten.'

Ellie nodded.

'Make it quick, then.'

'Boss, she saved your life . . .' the tall herrerasaur mumbled.

'Don't try to get me out of this. It's too late . . .' Ellie said dramatically. The short one growled.

'Boss, what are we supposed to tell the others?' he pressed anxiously, hopping from foot to foot.

'Tell them the truth,' Ellie said, 'That he killed me in cold blood.'

'You're a spy!' the short one hissed.

'I'm not. But don't let _that_ stop you.'

'Boss, she saved your life! She's not our enemy!' the tall one persisted.

Ellie patted him on the shoulder.

'Tut tut, don't be sad. His mind is made up.'

'But you _saved_ him!' he exclaimed.

'I could have made it down on my own!' the short one hissed.

'You're afraid of heights!' the other herrerasaur spat angrily.

'I don't think he's acrophobic. The only thing that scares him are humans,' Ellie hummed.

'_What_? I'm _not_ afraid of humans! They's cowards, all of 'em!' he roared.

'But you _must_ be afraid, since you're so keen to kill me,' Ellie said innocently, 'If you didn't consider me a threat, you'd have let me go already.'

'That's ridiculous! I'm not afraid to let you go!'

'He's in denial,' Ellie whispered loudly to the other herrerasaur.

'I am _NOT_ in denial! And I'm _NOT _going to kill you!'

'Really?' Ellie asked, pretending to be surprised.

'Of course! And just to prove how _UN_-afraid I am of humans, I'm going to bring you straight to the Visitors' Center!'

'Oh, dear! You really shouldn't! It's _far _too dangerous,' Ellie said gravely.

'Now, see here! I am a _cruel_ and _vicious_ animal, and I am _NOT_ going to let you push me around! We are going to the Visitors' Center, and that is FINAL!'

'Whatever you say . . .' Ellie beamed.

'Yeah, yeah. Hurry up, the both of you's!'

'Careful, boss. Humans are sneaky. You can't trust 'em,' the tall one warned him.

'Don't worry: I'll be keeping my eye on her. If she tries anything funny, we'll tie her up and FORCE her to follow us. But we won't fall for any of her tricks!' he said as he waddled away.

Ellie had to bite her tongue to keep from smiling.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"I feel so ALIVE! Woohoo!"

"You, uh, won't be alive for long if you keep turning corners like tha-a-a-okay, pull over, we're letting Alan drive!"

By all accounts, Robin's driving skills were akin to those of a drunken chimpanzee. It was a miracle that they were still alive and (mostly) unharmed. Ian quickly found that low-hanging tree branches posed a serious threat, which was more than a little humbling, given the circumstances. On an island full of dinosaurs, it would be ridiculous to be killed by a tree, of all things! Then again, foliage could be deadly. Ian had once heard of a plant that could shoot seeds at people as they walked by.

"Hey, Alan?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it true that there's a kind of plant that can shoot seeds at people as they walk by?"

Alan shrugged.

"I wouldn't doubt it. Plants can shoot all sorts of things . . ." he said dismissively.

"Such as?" Ian pressed.

"Oh, I don't know. Pollen. Chemicals. Acid."

"Acid?" Ian gasped.

Alan nodded.

"If you want the gruesome details, you should ask Ellie about her close encounters. She's seen some of the most _deadly_ plants known to man, and not just in fossils, either. One time, she got too close to a patch of Giant Hogweed-"

"Hogweed? That doesn't sound dangerous," Ian babbled.

"Does the word 'necrosis' mean anything to you?"

"Can't say it does," Ian admitted, "So, what happened?"

"Oh, she wasn't hurt too badly. Her field partner died, though," Alan said simply.

"Yikes."

"Yeah. The only reason she was down there in the first place was to save him . . ." Alan sighed.

Ian cringed.

"Guess that didn't work out . . ." he mumbled.

"Well, in a way, yes. As terrible as it is to say, if he hadn't died, Ellie would still be working as a regular botanist. I'm not saying that his death was a _good_ thing, but . . ."

"You're glad that Ellie decided to work for you?" Ian finished.

Alan nodded.

"I just wish she didn't have to go through the trauma . . ."

"That bad, huh?" Ian muttered.

"She had nightmares about it for _months_. Sometimes, she'd show up to work with bags under her eyes. It was awful."

"What did you do?" Ian asked with a newfound interest. Alan shrugged.

"Well, there wasn't much I COULD do. We weren't really in a relationship at the time, so I had to trust that she'd recover eventually."

"Did she?" Ian asked, leaning in.

"Of course. Time heals all injuries. She was perfectly fine for several years. I don't think she had nightmares for a long time afterwards. Then Jurassic Park came along . . ."

Ian nodded.

"I know that feeling."

"We all do," Alan sighed, "But I guess we'll just have to wait this one out too."

"Well, you guys still have each other," Robin sung merrily.

They blinked.

"Also, I wasn't eavesdropping."

"It's fine Robin," Alan laughed.

"Yeah, you've saved our asses enough times to be considered part of our group. Thanks, by the way."

Robin looked like a lost puppy who had just found its way home.

"D-do you really mean it?" she whispered.

"Um, yeah. Sure . . ." Ian said uncomfortably.

"You guys are the best friends I've ever had!" she sobbed as she hugged them, leaving the steering wheel unattended. Ian kicked his foot up to steer the car, but returned the hug anyway. Unfortunately, the heartfelt moment was shattered when the jeep zoomed off a cliff, passing directly above the electric fence. The crew screamed in fright as they plunged towards the earth in a Thelma-and-Louise-style swan dive. They hit the ground hard and rolled to a gentle stop. After a moment of silence, Robin gave a nervous laugh.

"I didn't really have a plan for getting through the fence, so in a way, this worked out perfectly!"

Ian, still frozen with shock, made a sound that was reminiscent of an elderly tortoise being squeezed. Robin coughed awkwardly.

"Maybe we should let Alan drive . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie had to admit that she had grown quite fond of her new friends. Once it became clear that they no longer considered her a threat, it was surprisingly easy to accept the fact that she was conversing with dinosaurs. Granted, they weren't particularly apt storytellers, but they seemed to enjoy regaling her with tales of yore. Well, if a few days ago could be considered "yore".

'-right into the mud pit, and it was the funniest thing I've ever seen!' the tall one laughed.

'Yeah, I tell ya, he's a real clumsy guy, that one,' the other herrerasaur added.

Ellie giggled.

'You know, you really should find names for each other. Unless you plan to refer to each other as 'Hey, you!', that is . . .'

The short one sniffed indignantly.

'Where would we start? There are too many of us, and we only know the names of _SCIENTISTS_.'

The way he punctuated the last word made it sound like he was talking about something completely repulsive. Not surprising, considering the recent abductions that had been taking place over the last few months (as the tall one had explained to her earlier).

'Why don't you come up with names of your own?' Ellie suggested.

'Like what?' the tall one asked.

'Oh, I don't know . . . Herrenald? Herrington? Herr-cules?'

'Do they all have to be puns?' the short one huffed sarcastically. Ellie rolled her eyes.

'Well, I don't see YOU coming up with any ideas . . .'

'What about Morton? Doesn't he look like a Morton to you?' the tall one chirped excitedly.

'Not bad. What do you think of it?' Ellie asked.

'Morton's fine,' he replied grumpily. The tall herrerasaur giggled. Ellie bumped into his side amiably.

'See? You're good at naming people. So what should I call _you_?' she beamed.

'Well, I've always liked the name _Penelope_ . . .' he said dreamily.

'Oookay, then,' Ellie twittered pleasantly, 'So we have Morton and Penelope. That's easy to remember.'

'Yeah, yeah,' Morton grumbled, 'Just don't expect us to-'

They stepped through the trees and found themselves at the edge of a shimmering lake. The two herrerasaurs looked around with confusion.

'What's wrong?' Ellie asked. Morton changed his demeanor immediately.

'Oh, nothing, nothing. Um . . . Penelope, a word?'

They scooted off to the side and began to whisper furiously. After a few minutes, Ellie decided that she had better figure out what all the fuss was about.

'-_completely_ the wrong direction! I can't believe you- Oh! Hi, Ellie. We're just discussing a few things . . .'

'We're lost, aren't we?' Ellie groaned.

'No, no! We know exactly where we are. Trouble is, we're nowhere near the Visitors' Center,' Penelope admitted.

Ellie bit her lip.

'How far are we?'

Morton bent his head in shame.

'Far. But don't worry! I'm sure we can plan an alternate route . . .'

'SCREET!'

A bambiraptor appeared out of nowhere, bouncing up and down excitedly.

'Are you Ellie Sattler? Well, of _course_ you are, what am I thinking?' he twittered.

'Do I _know_ you? . . .' Ellie asked with confusion.

'No, but you're lucky I found you! We've been looking for you all day! Blitzen heard a rumor that you were up North, so I decided to explore a bit and . . . well, here we are!'

'Is he making any sense to you?' Morton asked. Ellie shook her head. The bambiraptor exhaled with frustration.

'Robin sent us!' he said, tapping his foot anxiously.

'_Robin_?!' Ellie gasped.

'Yes, Robin!' he echoed, 'And she's headed your way, along with two men. What were their names, again? . . .'

'Alan and Ian?' Ellie asked.

'Sounds about right. Well, I'd better tell them where you are. Don't you go running off, now! It'll be easier if you stay by the lake.'

And with that, he hopped into the bushes and was gone.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Although Ian was glad that Alan had decided to drive, he didn't particularly care for the speed he held at present. After almost running over one of Robin's bambies (either Donder or Donner, not that Ian cared), they decided to send him up north for further investigation. Their search then proceeded as planned until the creature returned to confirm Ellie's precise location. As soon as Robin pointed them in the right direction, Alan zoomed off like a bat out of hell.

"Hey, Al!" Ian shouted over the motor, "I know you're anxious to see her and all, but could you slow down a touch?"

"No time. Must find Ellie."

Ian sighed with exasperation.

"You know, you're going to get us ki-"

_WHUMP! _

A branch hit the front of the jeep, scraping the hood severely.

"Ack! You know, I think I agree with Ian on this one . . ." Robin admitted guiltily, "We won't reach Ellie if we're dead."

Alan didn't answer.

"Yoo-hoo? Wanna give us your input?" Ian said, waving his hand in front of Alan's face.

"Don't distract me."

Ian slumped back.

"Fine, do what you want. Hey, is it just me, or is the forest getting sparser?"

Indeed, they were not getting hit by quite so many branches anymore. The jungle gradually tapered off as they drove, much to Ian's relief. It wasn't long before they found themselves in an open field.

"Wow, look at that!" Robin said with awe.

To their right, a brilliant blue lake glistened with shimmering sunlight. Ian squinted. At the edge of the pool, it was possible to see three small shapes. Two of them were clearly dinosaurs, but the third one was most definitely-

"Ellie!"

Alan parked the car and sprinted down the hill towards her.

"Alan? . . . Alan!" she beamed.

Ian watched as they ran to greet one another with open arms. When they were close enough, Ellie took a running leap and wrapped her legs around Alan's waist. He lost his balance and fell over backwards, losing his hat. They laughed hysterically and collapsed into a pile of mushy-gushy love.

"Awww . . ." Robin sighed whimsically.

"Hey, when you two are done re-enacting scenes from '_The Princess Bride_', you should really join us so we can finally escape this god-forsaken rock!" Ian shouted mockingly. Ellie and Alan stood up.

"Sorry, Ian!" Ellie laughed.

From a safe distance, the two red dinosaurs called out to her. She turned around in Alan's arms and answered them with strange dinosaur sounds. Alan loosened his grip, obviously surprised to see his partner barking like a madwoman. The dinosaurs nodded and ran off into the jungle. Robin smiled.

"Do I want to know?" Ian asked.

"Probably not."

***_TSJPFEW_***

After careful consideration, it was decided that the best plan of action was to head up to the North Dock and nab an abandoned boat. According to Robin, it was easy to hot-wire InGen vehicles. Alan didn't really care about the questionable nature of her hijacking knowledge: as long as Ellie was safe, nothing else mattered.

About fifteen minutes into their journey, Ellie dozed off against Alan's chest. He could feel her breathing gently as he stroked her hair. It had been a long day.

"Hey, Al . . ." Ian whispered, "Do you think Wu's looking for us?"

"I wouldn't doubt it," he replied, "I just hope we can make it to the mainland before he reaches us . . ."

Ellie shifted.

"Mmmph . . ."

"Ah! Sorry, we didn't mean to wake you," Ian apologized.

"No, s'alright . . ." Ellie slurred, "I'm feeling a lot better now."

Alan smiled.

"You'll have to tell us about your adventure sometime," he joked. Ellie snorted and pushed his face away playfully.

"I've been to hell and back. After pestilence, war, and famine . . . Well, let's just say that I'm looking forward to going home."

"How do you plan to get back without your passports?" Ian asked.

"Well, once we're out of Wu's territory, we can give Hammond a call-"

"But he's not the CEO anymore . . ." Ian pointed out.

"Actually, he's been reinstated," Robin interjected, "Due to a previously unseen line of fine print, Ludlow can't legally take InGen unless the entire board votes on it first. With all the excitement, I forgot to tell you . . ."

"Well, that's a relief!" Alan sighed.

"I guess it pays to have friends in high places . . ." Ian remarked.

Ellie laughed.

"We're going to miss you, Ian. Just don't forget to keep in touch! After an adventure like this, I can't imagine losing a friend like you."

Robin, who had been driving cautiously, turned and looked at them expectantly.

"And you too, Robin," Ellie added, "We wouldn't have gotten this far if it weren't for you . . ."

Robin squealed happily.

"This is the best day of my life!"

"Don't worry, there will be plenty more to come . . ." Ian said optimistically.

Finally, Ellie could no longer contain her excitement.

"We're going HOME!" she whooped.

_BANG!_

Robin jolted and slammed her foot on the brake pedal. The jeep came to a messy stop.

"What's wrong?" Ellie asked.

Robin held her shoulder painfully. When she lowered her hand, it was covered in blood.

"Oh my god, she's been shot!" Ian shouted, "Quick, everyone down!"

They ducked flat against the seats, searching for their attacker. A myriad of jeeps and vans were speeding towards them from the south. Leading the procession was Wu. He was holding a gun.

"Surrender now!" he bellowed through a megaphone, "You have nowhere to run!"

"Give it up, Wu! We'd sooner die than let you kidnap us!" Ian shouted.

Wu laughed.

"My, my. You're a spirited bunch!"

"Leave them alone, Wu!" Robin choked.

"Don't try to be a hero, Robin. I fully intend to let them go. Now that I have a proper DNA sample, they're useless to me."

"But how-"

"The janitor collected Sattler's blood at the Visitors' Center. I have everything I need to carry out Phase 3 of my plan."

"Phase 3?" Ian asked.

"Wu found a tyrannosaurus tooth with viable DNA. It's much bigger than a normal fossil would be. He thinks it's a super-dinosaur," Robin wheezed.

"Are you telling them about the tooth, Robin?" Wu shouted through the megaphone, "You needn't bother. I can show them myself."

Wu pulled out a large cane. A brown, spear-shaped fossil was fastened on the end.

"You know, some things are only whimsical when Hammond does them . . ." Ian quipped.

"We'll discuss juxtaposition later," Alan huffed, "Right now, we had better escape. Drive, Ian!"

They pulled Robin out of the driver's seat and lay her on her back. Ian hopped into the front and slammed his foot on the pedal.

It wasn't long before Wu took chase. The V-shaped cavalry of jeeps kicked up an impressive amount of dust as they flew across the plains. The car chase was rather unexciting, however, on such flat terrain.

"This is easy! All we have to do is outrun him," Ian chuckled.

"Don't let your guard down, Ian," Alan warned him.

Ian sat back and steered with one hand.

"What's the problem? We have a tank full of gas and a light load. We're far better off than-"

_TING!_

A bullet ricocheted off the side of the car.

"Oh, right. He has a gun."

"Don't let him shoot the tires!" Ellie screamed.

Through the rearview mirror, Ian could see the ground erupting with geysers of dust where the bullets landed. Ian tried to pull the car out of range, but their left tire suddenly collapsed beneath them. The jeep started to make awful sounds. Ian braked slowly. There was no way they could make it away safely.

"Well, I guess this is it . . ." Ellie said sadly.

They sat in silence as Wu pulled up beside them.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a ticket," he laughed cruelly. No one responded.

Wu stepped out of the car, still holding his staff in one hand. Robin sat up in the back seat and winced.

"Oh, come now! There's no need for long faces. I'll get you home safely . . ."

"Liar," Ian hissed. Wu sneered.

"Like I said: I have no use for you. You can go home . . ."

They shrunk back as Wu cackled.

"Unfortunately, once my lawyers are done with you, you may not have a home at all!"

"Bastard!" Robin screamed, pouncing at him with rage. Two security guards grabbed her and fastened a metal band around her wrist. She tried to spit at them, but only ended up expectorating all over her chest.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Such manners!"

"Don't try to be a mustache-twirler, Wu. It's unbecoming," Ian growled. Wu thrust his cane into Ian's gut, winding him.

"I've had just about enough of you . . ."

"Leave him alone!" Ellie shouted, trying to break free from another pack of guards.

"You're trying my patience. Trixie, gag her!"

A pudgy woman with witch-like nails waddled over with a piece of cloth.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Alan shouted, "If you touch her, I swear I'll-"

"You'll _what_? Call one of your dinosaur friends?" Wu mimicked.

'Groarrrrrrrrr!'

A massive figure suddenly appeared a few yards from where they were parked. Ian had never seen this kind of dinosaur before. It was bright yellow, with a lighter underside and a greenish tinge on top. Along its spine, a series of blue spots dappled its back from neck to tail. Most impressively, a burning red crest flashed furiously on top of its head.

"Ellie . . . Is this, uh . . . is this a friend of yours?" Ian asked. She shook her head fearfully.

Ian gulped.

"Then, what is it?"

Alan started shaking.

"It's an Allosaurus, Ian."


	12. Last Day

'GROOOAR!'

The allosaurus charged at the group, pounding its massive feet against the ground like a Hawaiian drummer.

"Run! Run now!" Alan shouted, grabbing Ellie's hand. They stumbled out of the way as a horde of screaming scientists jostled them on each side, pushing and shoving each other violently as they tried to escape. They moved like a stampede, albeit one with a common destination. Alan led Ellie, Ian, and Robin on a separate path. While the scientists hopped into their jeeps, the gang dove into a circle of jagged boulders to hide. Alan pulled them down one by one. When they were out of the dinosaur's field of vision, Ian scooted closer to Alan.

"If we stay still, do we-"

"No. Allosaurs have _excellent_ vision. We need to wait for him to leave," Alan whispered.

Ian started shaking.

"If I don't make it out of this alive, can someone please tell my children that I love them?" he whispered.

"You have _kids_?" Ellie gasped.

"Didn't you know? I thought I told you . . ."

"No, you told _me_," Alan huffed, "And I thought you were joking."

"Me? Never."

"Ian . . ." Ellie groaned.

"Just trying to lighten the mood. At least we'll have a good laugh before we get _eaten_."

"Shush, Ian. Nobody's going to die," Ellie whispered furiously. Ian sighed.

"Right . . . But for argument's sake, can we at least say that I died trying to save orphaned puppies from a burning building?"

"Shut up, Ian," Robin grumbled.

"Hey, now! No need to be rude . . ."

"_I'm bleeding profusely_!" Robin hissed.

"Right, right. Is it bad?" Ian asked, leaning in for a closer look.

"No, I don't think so," Robin hummed, "But if I die, can one of you take care of Orange?"

"No one's dying!" Ellie spat.

"Do you have any children?" Ian asked. Robin shook her head.

"I'm sterile . . . Oh, don't worry. I hate kids, so it's no big deal. But my cat-"

"-will be fine!" Ellie finished, "You are NOT going to die."

"But-"

Ellie raised her finger in warning.

"Ack! What are we supposed to do? Just sit here and wait to be picked off like _wombats_?" Robin sputtered.

"Wombats? . . ." Ellie wondered.

"We could swap stories . . ." Ian mumbled.

"Oh, brother," Robin drawled.

"Tell them the puddle story, Ellie," Alan said encouragingly.

"YOU tell them. You're a better storyteller . . ."

The group suddenly became alert when they heard two pairs of feet shuffling across the grass. Wu and Jay rounded the corner and sat down next to Alan. He turned to scold them, but Wu gave him a deadly glare.

"Not. A. Word."

"He ran out of bullets," Jay explained.

Gradually, the screaming dissipated as people fled to their jeeps. Soon, the collective roar of a dozen motors filled the air. When Alan peeked around the corner, he saw the allosaurus pacing in frustration. The cars were nearly gone, and it hadn't made a kill. The dinosaur pawed at the ground angrily, not knowing what to do.

"Do you understand him, Ellie?" Alan asked, hoping to gain some insight. She shook her head.

"No. I don't think he's speaking."

"She wouldn't have allosaurus DNA in her system, anyway," Robin said, "But T-Rex dialect should be similar enough . . . Not that you'd want to try reasoning with him. Speaking of which, have you used any other morphs yet?"

"What?" Ellie whispered.

"You can morph into other dinosaurs . . . If you carry their DNA, that is. Did you acquire herrerasaurus DNA during your expedition?"

Ellie crinkled her nose.

"No, I don't think so. Would I have to have been bitten? . . ."

"Not necessarily. The DNA is absorbed through physical contact-"

"Would you two _shut up_?" Jay whispered harshly, "It's going to hear us . . ."

Robin rolled her eyes.

"Everybody knows that allosaurs have poor hearing," she scoffed.

"But they have a highly developed sense of smell," Wu said, pointing to Robin's bleeding shoulder. Sure enough, the beast was beginning to sniff loudly. Alan silently prayed that they were downwind.

The sniffing stopped. Alan peeked around the corner. The allosaurus was looking straight at him.

'GROARRRRRRRRR!'

It tossed its head and stomped towards them.

"What are we going to do?" Jay shrilled.

"Got any ideas, Al?" Ian asked.

Why was it that everyone thought that _he_ was an expert on dinosaur-based survival skills? True, he was a paleontologist, but these were living creatures . . .

"I don't know what to do," Alan admitted guiltily, "All the jeeps are gone . . ."

"What about-"

"The allosaurus is between the broken jeep and these rocks. We can't make it around him," Alan affirmed.

"We're gonna die!" Jay shrieked.

Even Ellie didn't argue, this time. Alan put his arms around her, but it was of little comfort. The footsteps were getting louder . . .

Robin stood up shakily. She seemed very serene, given the circumstances.

"It's funny . . . All this time, I've been trying to impress the wrong people," she said with a strange detachment. What was she talking about?

"You don't need to impress us . . ." Ian said gently.

"I know," Robin whispered as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Spare us the pity-party," Wu groaned, "You don't deserve our respect."

Robin nodded.

"I think you're right . . . But that's why I'm sticking with the people who don't mind."

She turned away from Wu and Jay, much to their surprise.

"Alan, Ellie, Ian . . . You've all been so kind to me, and I never even had to ask for your approval . . ."

"Of course not. We're your friends . . ." Ellie said softly. Robin closed her eyes.

"I can't tell you how good it feels to do something for someone other than myself. I'm going to miss you . . . Head for the jeep."

By the time they realized what she meant, it was too late. Robin darted into the field. The allosaurus spotted her and began to take chase.

Alan didn't remember running. One minute, he was ducking behind the rock, and the next, he was sitting in a very crowded jeep. Wu didn't waste any time: they sped off as quickly as the flat tire would allow. Alan didn't think to look back until they were far from the danger zone. He never saw what happened to Robin. When he asked Ellie if she had escaped, she shook her head and started to cry.

***_TSJPFEW_***

For a good half-hour, no one said a word. Alan, Ellie, and Ian were sitting quietly in the back seat, staring vacantly at the ground as it rolled by. Jay wasn't much different, though he fidgeted every now and then. Wu was busy driving, but he grimaced whenever they ran over a particularly large bump. Other than the rumble of the motor and the crash of distant waves, there was no sound.

A sudden crackle of static made everyone in the car jump. Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a radio. He pressed a red button on the side and held it up to his face.

"Hello?"

'Jay, is that y- . . .'

The voice faded into static.

"Yes! Yes, I'm here! Where _are _you guys?"

'We tried to head South, but we got lo- . . . -ere any chance we can meet you at the North Dock?'

Jay turned to Wu.

"Should we-"

He nodded.

"Right," Jay sighed, "We'll meet you at the North Dock."

'-ow many of you are left? Did- . . . -any casualties?'

Jay closed his eyes.

"Robin is dead."

There was a pause.

'-sorry to hear that. We're sending- . . . -North Dock, if you can make it on three tires. Otherwise, we can g-'

The radio started beeping. Soon, it went completely silent.

Jay dropped the device unceremoniously.

"I guess we're heading North."

***_TSJPFEW_***

A jeep can't run on three wheels. Even the strongest axles can't tolerate a sudden increase in pressure. It wasn't long before the vehicle became quite unusable. While Wu and Jay tried desperately to fix the jeep, Ellie, Alan, and Ian sat by the edge of a seaside cliff. They had stopped in a particularly sandy area, not unlike the hoodoos of Montana. At the base of the precipice, white waves crashed violently against the rocks. Coastal birds flapped across the bay, giving the whole scene a postcard esthetic. Over by the jeep, Jay seemed to be quite annoyed by the cawing of the pelicans, even going so far as to throw spare parts at them as they flew by. For Ellie, it was a relief to hear something so jarring. The silence had been deafening.

Ian sighed.

"Why did she do it?" he wondered aloud, "She barely knew us. We barely knew _her_. And she seemed so_ sentimental_ . . . I just don't understand."

"Me neither," Alan sighed, "We never _did_ anything for her . . ."

It was true, they hadn't been particularly nice to Robin. Sure, Ian had complimented her once or twice, but other than that . . .

Then again, she had been willing to help them before, though it seemed as though she wanted to salvage her reputation above all else . . .

Ellie thought about Alan's recounting of the nighttime rendezvous. Robin had been so eager to please them, but was it simply a manifestation of some deep-rooted insecurity? Was she lonely? Was she frightened? There was no way of knowing for sure. Not now. Like Alan said, they hadn't really _given_ her anything. And yet . . .

Ellie shook her head.

"No. That's not true. Whether we knew it or not, we DID have something to offer."

She stood up and started walking back towards the jeep.

"We became her friends. That in itself is a tremendous thing."


	13. Pique de Moustique

Following Robin's advice, Ellie tried out different morphs while they waited by the jeep. She did, in fact, have herrerasaurus DNA, which the group deemed a useful asset (though Ellie hoped she would never have to use it). Ian suggested that she try mutating her limbs in isolation, just as Robin had done. This was solely accomplished, Ellie noticed, through conscious will. It was a good thing too, because she wasn't a huge fan of electrocution. Even so, it was strange to see her thumb and pinky suddenly shrink into the sides of her hand. Even more alarming was the foot transformation. Apparently, her shoes were considered "part of her", and they sunk into her skin like a tarp might sink into a pool. She toyed with these semi-mutations experimentally. There appeared to be quite the variation in how the change was accomplished. Sometimes, it was smooth and fast; other times, she would bubble like grilled cheese. She wasn't fond of the latter method.

Oddly enough, when she tried out her compsognathus morph, she began to glow. Although it was initially confusing, Ellie decided that it must have something to do with releasing her excess mass as light energy. On a similar note, she seemed to draw in heat when she grew. These expansions were often the messiest transformations, appearing grotesque and feeling unpleasant. As Ian put it, she was simply "repulse-some". To gross him out, Ellie grew her nails into herrerasaur claws and twinkled them in his face like a witch. He didn't approve.

Ellie began to try out her raptor morph as well, but she pulled back before completing it. Something about becoming a raptor didn't sit well with her, though she couldn't begin to explain her reasoning. It just felt _wrong_, plain and simple.

"So, what happens if you eat a sandwich and shrink? Does your stomach explode?" Ian asked.

"Hell if I know. I haven't had a proper meal since yesterday," Ellie grumbled.

Alan put his arms around her.

"Oh, Ellie . . ."

She pushed him away gently.

"I'm fine, I'm fine . . ."

He wasn't convinced.

"We could find you a mango or something . . ."

"Are they in season?" Ian joked.

"Really, I'm fine," Ellie insisted, "Besides, we shouldn't go wandering off."

Ian frowned.

"So . . . we're going to stay with Wu?"

"I don't see any alternative," Ellie said with a shrug.

"We could call Hammond . . ." Alan suggested.

In her peripheral vision, Ellie saw Wu flinch.

"Maybe we should wait," she replied, flicking her eyes to Wu and back.

Ian lowered his voice.

"Something tells me that Wu isn't going to let this slide . . ."

Alan snorted.

"What was your first clue? The gun? The cane of death? . . ."

"Scepter," Ellie interjected.

"The _scepter_ of death?" Alan repeated. Ian chuckled.

"Yeah, I can't say the "Mad-Scientist-Meets-Bond-Villain" motif is all that subtle . . ."

"Shhh!" Alan hissed.

"What? Do you hear something?" Ian quavered.

"No, I just want you to be quiet."

Ellie frowned.

"Wait a minute . . ."

"Do _you_ hear something?" Ian repeated. Ellie shook her head.

"No . . . But _that's_ what makes me nervous. I don't think Jay could have frightened away_ all_ of those pelicans on his own . . ."

After a moment of silence, Alan turned towards the jeep.

"Guys, I think we'd better g-"

'Hsssh . . .'

A raspy hiss seemed to come out of nowhere. The group searched frantically for the source of the sound, but to no avail. Finally, what appeared to be a moss-covered rock began to shift and twitch. A long-snouted dinosaur stood up and sniffed the air.

"Two legs, Alan. It has two legs . . ." Ian whimpered.

Wu stared at the creature with wide eyes.

"This is impossible . . . We aren't in baryonyx territory . . . What is he doing all the way out here?"

Not far away, a second baryonyx made its presence known. It opened its mouth and hissed. Ellie decided that it sounded like an asthmatic alligator. The two creatures slunk closer, cocking their heads curiously.

'Kee-eht-voo? . . .'

Ellie frowned. It sounded like he was speaking in a foreign tongue.

"What's it saying, Ellie?" Alan whispered.

"I don't know . . . It sounds like he's trying to speak, but the words are nonsensical . . ."

'Eel-fon-kwoi?' the second baryonyx asked.

'Eel-noo-pahrrrl-jeu-pensss.'

Wu pushed Ellie forward.

"Try speaking with them."

Ellie's knees were shaking. She didn't know what to say . . .

'Um . . . Hello?' she squeaked.

'Allo? Say-kwoi-sah? Tyrrrannosaurrr?'

"They said something about 'tyrannosaur', I think!"

'Ay-la-blond! Tyu-pahrrrl-Tyrrrannosaurrr?'

'I'm sorry. I don't understand what you're saying . . .'

'El-ay-peutehtrrr-eun-peu-lahn?'

'Jeu-krrrwa-k'wee.'

'On-la-monj?'

'El-ay-troh-mehgrrr. Seh-reeyain-keu-day-mahnjeye . . .'

"You getting any of this?" Ian asked. Ellie shook her head.

"No, but I have an idea. Cover me."

She approached the closest baryonyx and touched his leg.

'El-fay-kwoi? Aykoot, jeu neu say pah . . . what you're trying to do, but I don't appreciate it!'

Ellie removed her hand.

'Can you understand me now?' she asked.

'Hey! She's not slow after all!' the other baryonyx clucked.

'Slow? Wh- Oh, never mind. Listen, what are you two _doing_ here?'

'We WERE resting . . .' the first baryonyx grumbled.

'No, no. What I mean is: why did you leave your territory?'

'That's none of your business! Now get lost!' he hissed.

Ellie backed away as they snarled at her.

'Calm down, calm down . . . I'm just curious, is all. Wu said-'

'_WU_?!' they chorused angrily.

Uh-oh.

'You're a spy, aren't you?'

Not this again . . .

'Look, I'm not-'

'Kill her!'

Ellie whipped around and bolted for the jeep.

'I hate it when they run . . .' the first baryonyx sneered.

Alan stumbled backwards.

"Ellie, what-"

"Go, go, go, go, go!" she screamed.

They didn't wait for an explanation. As the two baryonyx drew near, the group split up to dodge their attacks. The dinosaurs tried snapping them up one by one, but their motion lacked finesse. Ellie hypothesized that they were used to having prey come to them (not unlike fish would swim unknowingly towards a bear). The baryonyx paused during each attack to steady themselves, giving the gang ample time to get out of the way. These dinosaurs certainly weren't multitaskers.

Suddenly, the baryonyx's attention was drawn to the jeep. Jay had hidden himself beneath the vehicle during the initial commotion, but his white labcoat was a dead giveaway. The beasts approached the car on each side, dipping their heads down for a closer look. Jay tried to kick them out of the way, but it only made them angrier. Working together, they rolled the jeep over to expose him. Soon, Jay was dangling from a pair of jaws. His captor dropped him momentarily, letting him crawl on the ground for a few seconds before finishing him off. With one human gone, the baryonyx responsible for Jay's demise turned his attention to the group. He stopped in mid-stride, however, for Jay's body had begun to twitch and crackle. The creature snorted and ripped off his head.

'I hate it when that happens. It's not fair when you have to kill them twice . . .'

Ellie, who had found refuge behind a decaying log, shuddered at their callous remark. How could they be so apathetic? Then again, they _were _predators . . .

Wu ran over and forcefully pulled up Ellie by her wrist.

"Let go of me!" she shrieked.

"Morph into a baryonyx!"

"What?" she gasped, still struggling to free herself.

"You have their DNA. Fight them!"

Ellie yanked her arm out of Wu's grasp.

"Forget it!" she spat, "I'm not your personal assistant. If you think I'm going to fight-"

Wu struck her across the face. Ellie stumbled backwards and touched her bleeding lip.

"You will do as I say, whether you like it or not!"

He pulled a taser out of his pocket and jammed it into Ellie's side. She let out a cry and fell to the ground. Seeing what had happened, Alan rushed over and pushed Wu out of the way. He knelt beside Ellie, trying to restrain her as she convulsed.

"Ellie! Ellie, I'm _so sorry_! I thought he was coming to help you . . ."

She coughed uncontrollably as he held her in his arms.

"Alan . . ." Ellie choked, 'I can't-'

She stopped, realizing that her transformation was too far-gone to allow human vocalization.

"Ellie? Oh, Ellie! You don't have to fight! He can't_ make_ you . . ."

'I'm so sorry, Alan. I tried to save us, but I'm just not strong enough . . .'

'HSSSSSSSSSH!'

"Um, guys . . ." Ian quavered, "We have company . . ."

Alan didn't want to let go of Ellie, but their assailants were drawing near. Apparently, they weren't daunted by Ellie's size.

"Get them! Get them!" Wu barked.

Ellie swayed her head from side to side with agitation. She stepped backwards, accidentally jostling Ian with her shin.

"Ah! Watch it!" he shouted.

She grumbled indistinctly. Wu marched up to her and tried to push her forward.

"What's the _matter _with you? Go, get them!"

Ellie didn't budge an inch. Wu pushed and pushed until he was practically perpendicular to her leg. She kicked him away without much difficulty.

"How _dare _you-"

"Shut up, Wu. She doesn't want to fight," Alan threatened.

The larger baryonyx charged at Ellie. She dodged the attack just in time, but lost her balance when she stepped on the decaying log. As she reeled, Ellie nearly smacked Ian with her tail.

"Yeah, I think we should get out of the way," he said quickly.

Alan, Ian, and Wu managed to escape the danger zone, but the second baryonyx pursued them while its companion was busy. Seeing this, Ellie roared and ran to their aid. She clamped her jaws around the animal's tail, pulling it to the ground. It thrashed around madly, its sharp claws missing Ellie's snout by an inch.

Out of nowhere, the other baryonyx slammed into her side, leaving her winded on the ground. Alan attempted a rescue, but the fallen baryonyx was in his way. Ellie tried to right herself, but the beast continued to shove her through the dirt.

"He's trying to push her off the cliff!" Ian shouted.

Alan dashed towards Ellie without a second thought.

"Leave her alone!" Alan bellowed, pounding on the animal's leg. It took a few seconds for the baryonyx to register that it was being attacked. It turned slowly and gave him a look of absolute disdain. Alan gulped.

'HSSSSSSH . . .'

The baryonyx snapped its jaws, but Alan was already out of the way. The second baryonyx had finally found its footing, and promptly joined the chase. Finally, they cornered Alan by the (now upside-down) jeep. The two monsters snarled menacingly. Alan could hear Ian trying to get their attention, but they took no notice. This was _very _bad . . .

'RAAAAAAAAAH!'

Ellie knocked one of the baryonyx to the side. The other one watched furiously as they wrestled on the ground. Ellie used the struggling baryonyx to pull herself upright. She made her way over to Alan, but the second baryonyx intercepted her. It slashed at Ellie with open claws, leaving three red striations on her left side. While she screamed, it tried to grab Alan. In the blink of an eye, she caught its neck in her jaws. She struggled to keep it at bay, but it was determined to kill its quarry. She slammed her foot into its side, still holding its scruff in her jaws. The baryonyx was bleeding, but Ellie didn't seem to notice. Its scrag bent awkwardly as she pushed, finally snapping with a resonant crack. The animal twitched a little, then went limp in her jaws.

Ellie dropped the lifeless creature, panting heavily. She stared at the cadaver with contrition. Alan couldn't imagine how she felt. Ellie had never killed anything larger than a mosquito. It wasn't in her nature to harm living creatures, yet she was now standing over the corpse of a semi-sentient animal.

"Ellie . . ."

She flinched at his touch. Her gaze remained distant and trancelike. Alan was barely tall enough to reach her knee, so he settled on hugging her calf. She rumbled softly and closed her eyes.

'HSH!'

The surviving baryonyx was absolutely furious. He dug his foot into the ground like an angry bull. Seeing that he was about to charge, Ellie pushed Alan out of the way, staining the back of his shirt with baryonyx blood. He ran over to Ian and Wu, who were hiding behind the splintered log.

"Give me your taser!"

The way Wu looked at him, one would swear that he had asked for a purple unicorn.

"You can't shock a baryonyx!"

"I can _try_!" Alan barked.

Ian grabbed the taser from Wu's pocket.

"Catch!"

Wu tried to snatch it away, but Ian sent the device flying through the air. Alan caught it and ran.

'Hsssssssssh . . .'

Alan noticed that the baryonyx had Ellie backed up against the cliff. This was not unintentional. Every time she would try to run past, it would block her path like a sheepdog. If Ellie fell off the cliff, it was _game over_.

Alan held the taser awkwardly. The prongs crackled with blue-white cords of electricity, snapping in the humid air. The creature hissed as Alan shocked its leg, more surprised than injured, but furious nonetheless. During its momentary distraction, Ellie managed to knock the beast on its back. The ground around the ledge was steeply sloped, and the baryonyx began to slide down. As it fell, it grabbed Ellie's foot long enough to drag her down to the edge of the cliff. It hissed as it plummeted over the side, leaving Ellie dangling on the precipice.

"Hold on!" Alan shouted as he slid towards her. He grabbed her snout, just as her legs began to scramble over the scarp, knocking clumps of compact dirt into the sea below. Ian dashed over to help. They tugged as hard as they could, refusing to admit that it was a futile effort.

"Don't let go! Don't let go!" Alan shouted frantically.

In a fraction of a second, Ellie slipped out of their hands and plunged into the foaming water.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan's shouting cut out as Ellie broke through the surface of the ocean. She tumbled through the bubbly depths, still stunned from the impact of her fall. The sun shone down in bright beams, though it was hard to tell where the light originated. Everything was so blurry . . .

When she hit the ocean floor, Ellie kicked up a massive cloud of sand. The grains stung at her eyes, blinding her temporarily.

'Rhooo . . .'

Ellie didn't acknowledge the haunting ululation until the speaker began to push her through the sand. She was in no position to struggle: a land animal such as herself was not suited for aquatic maneuverability. Her attacker, however, seemed to be a Star 10 synchronized swimmer.

On top of the usual motion-based acuity, Ellie's vision was still blurry from the sand and seawater, so she couldn't quite make out the shape of the animal. She hoped it wasn't the baryonyx.

The specter lifted her through the water with ease. Oddly enough, it pushed her straight to the surface, where she gasped and retched in the cold air. When she steadied herself, the mysterious ocean-dweller ceased to assist her.

'Rhooo . . .'

She watched the semi-crocodilian silhouette swim away with smooth strokes. Whatever it was, it no longer concerned her.

Now that she was able to breathe, Ellie focused on treading water. Once she accepted the fact that she had no hands for sculling, she used her feet to dog-paddle. This proved to be quite a challenge, as she quickly found that the mammalian technique of up-and-down spinal contortion was not anatomically possible. Eventually, she settled on a sort of side-to-side wiggle, though she had to pull her head out of the water every now and then when she got too enthusiastic with her tail-strokes.

In addition to the unwanted influx of seawater in her mouth and nostrils, the saline quality of the ocean had terrible effects on her body. The salt stung badly against the gashes on her thigh, and the nick on her eyebrow was getting worse. Ellie didn't know whether salt was particularly dangerous for an injured dinosaur, but she decided that it was probably a good idea to find dry land.

After a few minutes of sputtering and snorting, Ellie began to hallucinate. She had heard stories of castaways who had died from drinking too much seawater, but she never expected to be in the situation herself. Then again, she had never expected to see a living dinosaur. She had never expected to BE a living dinosaur. Isla Nublar was full of surprises . . .

Finally, Ellie spotted a beach. The waves became fierce as she paddled to the island, nearly knocking her over when she was able to touch the bottom (which was admittedly a bit shameful, given her current size). The salt-induced nausea began to take its toll, causing double-vision and dizziness. Ellie's teetering became so sporadic that she could no longer stand upright. She flopped over lazily and let the waves carry her the rest of the way.

As she washed up on shore, Ellie lay her head flat on the sand and gurgled. She didn't feel too good . . .

_Are you sick, Ellie Sattler?_

Ellie opened her eyes. The pteranodon was sitting calmly in the sand, watching her without a trace of emotion.

'Oh. You again. What do _you_ want?' Ellie grumbled. The pteranodon cocked its head.

_The real question is: what do YOU want? _

'Eh?' Ellie chuffed.

_I am a manifestation of your subconscious. I will help you face what you choose to ignore._

'So, my spirit guide is a pteranodon? Odd choice, but I'm not complaining,' Ellie said sardonically.

_Do you know why I am here, Ellie Sattler?_ the pteranodon asked, ignoring her comment.

'Yeah, I drank too much seawater . . .' Ellie snorted.

_That is true, but I refer to a deeper meaning. Something more . . . spiritual, if you will. Why do you think you chose a pteranodon as your spirit guide?_

'Hell if I know,' Ellie grumbled, 'Wait . . . aren't you supposed to be answering _my_ questions? Or are you one of those "mystical bullshit" mentors who wants me to find my own path?'

The pteranodon moved closer.

_You forget that I am a reflection of your innermost desires. I cannot give you any advice outside of your own intuition._

'Intuition?' Ellie echoed.

_Many people choose to ignore their instincts. You only let yourself see so much . . ._

'Look, I don't mean to be rude, but this vagueness is getting us nowhere. I don't like it when people speak in riddles.'

_And yet, you lie to yourself. You cannot fool me, Ellie Sattler. I am not Alan, I am not Ian . . . I am YOU. Why do you choose to dismiss me? Do I frighten you?_

Ellie was furious. What could this overgrown chicken possibly know about her feelings? Nothing, that's what!

'If you're not going to tell me why I'm here, then you can forget-'

_Why are you afraid to become a raptor? _

Ellie froze. The question had certainly caught her off guard . . .

'I . . . I think it's because I'm scared of them,' she guessed.

The pteranodon closed its eyes.

_That is part of the reason. _

'What else _is_ there? Tell me . . .' Ellie whispered.

_You already know._

Ellie turned her head in shame. She _did_ know.

_My time here is coming to an end . . . _the pteranodon said, dipping its head in farewell.

'Why? WHY?' Ellie cried in distress.

_The effects of the seawater are wearing off. _

'Ah.'

The pteranodon spread its wings.

_You may not be able to face the truth right now, but there will come a time when you must decide who you really are . . ._

With a powerful stroke of its wings, the pteranodon took flight.

'Yeah, whatever,' Ellie hummed, slipping back into a state of nonchalance, 'Do you have any other scraps of fortune cookie advice for me?'

_No. But there's something you should know . . . _

'What?' Ellie asked.

_There's a starfish on your face. _

Ellie crossed her eyes and saw a pinkish shape stuck to her snout. She jumped to her feet and tried to shake it off while yapping like a rabid coyote.

Much to her everlasting shame, Ellie had always possessed an irrational fear of starfish. Alan sometimes teased her about this quirk, though he was respectful enough to keep it a secret. Boy, would he get a kick out of this . . .

After a few minutes of screaming and flailing, Ellie began to demorph. The starfish seemed to grow as she shrunk, soon enveloping her entire nose. As she ripped the disgusting creature off her face, Ellie wondered how long she had been lying on the beach. Hadn't Alan said something about a three hour limit?

A gentle wave washed over Ellie's shoes, filling them with sand and spume.

"Wonderful," she sighed.

She removed her sneakers and set them on the sand to dry. After ringing out her socks, Ellie walked down to the shore and stared at the ocean. The tide glimmered with the radiant glow of Golden Hour, the most beautiful time of day. Tiny strands of light danced across the horizon like yellow ribbons, twining and twirling playfully as the sun began to set.

Ellie smiled. Despite everything, she had to admit that the beach was gorgeous. The water was calm where she stood, and it felt surprisingly relaxing to let the waves wash up against her feet. Ellie dug her toes into the sand and sighed. There was nothing unpleasant about a tropical bay.

Well, except for the starfish.

Ellie watched with repulsion as it slowly lifted its limbs in the air. The waves dragged it up and down the beach, spinning it around like a discus. Blech. Echinoderms were freaky as hell. There was _nothing_ Ellie feared more than starfish.

'CRAW! CRAW! CRAW!'

. . . Except raptors.


	14. The Plan

Ian wished that he could be a good friend, but he had never really dealt with such complex emotions before. For a good fifteen minutes, all he could do was stare at Alan while he had a mental breakdown. The man was clearly in denial, ranting and raving about various scenarios in which Ellie could have survived. Ian turned away awkwardly as Alan fell into a delusional panic. What could he _do_, anyway? He had nothing comforting to say, in fact, he wasn't feeling too hot, himself . . .

Finally, Alan had to admit defeat. He ceased to make excuses and stood quietly by the torn-up cliff. Thinking it was safe to talk to him, Ian began to think up a solace-filled dialogue, but Alan suddenly snapped at Wu, blaming him for Ellie's death. Although he was clearly lashing out, Ian had to agree with him on this point. Ellie, Robin, and countless innocents had died because of Wu's stubbornness, yet he refused to repent. Instead, he donned an expression of annoyance as Alan reprimanded his actions. It was sickening . . .

"-just _stood_ there. You could have _saved _her, but you chose to _run_!"

"I did what was necessary to survive! If she hadn't fought, we'd _all_ be _dead_."

"Maybe it would have been better that way," Alan replied bitterly.

It was Ian who noticed the rescue team driving down from the North. He ran over to the quarreling men and tried to break up their argument. Reluctantly, they decided to postpone their bickering and join the squad.

While Wu explained the situation to his staff, Ian and Alan searched the premises for an empty jeep. The last thing they needed was more "quality time" with Wu. Most of the vehicles were at maximum occupancy, and the rest were filled with unfriendly faces. Finally, Ian spotted two free seats.

"This one looks good, don't you think?" he asked brightly, expecting no answer. Alan gave Ian a questioning look.

"Don't you know whose jeep that is?"

"Yeah. But it's fine," Ian said airily.

They climbed into the vehicle and waited in silence.

"What are you going to say?" Alan asked softly. Ian shrugged.

"Knowing me, it'll probably be something stupid and unfunny."

After a short pause, the scientists broke away from Wu's conference and headed to their assigned cars. Ian braced himself for a painful ride.

"Ian Malcolm?" their driver gasped.

"Hi, Dr. Harding . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Gerry Harding had always considered Sarah's taste in men to be questionable, at the best of times, but sometimes she _really_ pushed her luck. Gerry sometimes blamed himself for her poor decision-making, and this culpability made him feel awful. Indeed, he hadn't been a particularly good role-model, though this had _less_ to do with his flaws and _everything_ to do with his perpetual absence. This was probably why Sarah tended to gravitate towards men who were aloof or antisocial. Although she might have a _vague _idea that other families were closer than her own, she hadn't been exposed to a healthy environment for many years.

While Malcolm wasn't the worst of Sarah's boyfriends, he had an unhealthy habit of enthralling her with tales of Jurassic Park. She had known, of course, that her father was somehow involved with InGen, but Gerry hadn't expected her to put the pieces together in such a short amount of time. Somehow, the warnings and horror stories only managed to draw her in.

Even so, Gerry had to admit that something about the way Malcolm behaved gave him the impression that he would do anything to keep Sarah off Isla Nublar. He even suspected that Wu might have used this idea to get him to return to the island in the first place. All of this blackmail and slander was infuriating, but not unexpected, per se.

It was a damned shame that so many InGen scientists turned out to be complete wackos. To be honest, the only reason Gerry hadn't already left Isla Nublar was because he was afraid of what would happen if he wasn't around to keep everyone in check. Without people like him, things would go sour quicker than a tub of milk on a hot porch.

Of course, things were _already _pretty bad. Not only had they lost Robin and Jay, but Sattler had also been an unfortunate victim of the feral theropods. Gerry was glad that he hadn't been around to see any of the deaths. It was hard enough to lose a loved one, but to watch the dinosaurs tear them apart . . . Well, he didn't like to think about it.

"I should have stayed out of the way . . ."

No one expected Grant to break the silence. He was so dejected that Gerry had wondered whether he would ever speak again.

"She was trying to save me. If I hadn't been so impulsive-"

"No, Alan, no . . ." Malcolm hummed, "It's not your fault. You tried to save her . . ."

"And I failed. I promised that nothing would happen to her . . ."

"Alan . . ."

Gerry drove in silence, not wanting to make the situation worse with his input.

"I didn't even say goodbye . . ."

"You didn't _have_ to. She knew how you felt, Al. You tried to save her, even when it was impossible."

"We should have left while we had the chance."

Finally, Gerry couldn't take it anymore.

"I know it isn't easy to accept that she's gone, but you won't do her any justice by blaming yourself. This was beyond your control."

Grant said nothing.

"I'm not saying that you should_ forget _her or anything, but for the love of god, don't be too hard on yourself."

Silence. Gerry sighed.

"We'll be arriving at the Visitors' Center shortly," he finished weakly.

He drove down to the cul-de-sac and let his passengers depart without any further discussion. As they trod dismally up the stairs, Malcolm turned around and nodded respectfully. Gerry tipped his hat and went to park the car.

When he arrived at the tour garage, Gerry was surprised to see that Wu was waiting for him. He didn't look too pleased, either, but what else was new?

"I see you've met Mr. Malcolm . . ." Wu said with an unnerving calmness.

Gerry pulled his key out of the ignition.

"Yeah. It's about time, too. He's been dating my daughter for over a year . . ."

"Fascinating," Wu said blankly, "And how is Dr. Grant?"

Gerry sighed.

"Not good."

Wu stepped forward smoothly.

"Did he seem . . . unstable to you?" he asked, leaning against the car.

"I don't know what you mean, sir . . ." Gerry murmured with confusion.

"Was he . . . in a bad way?"

"Well, sure. I reckon he's probably torn up about Sattler's passing . . ."

Wu nodded.

"I imagine so."

He slithered out of the back door, leaving it open. Gerry was about to hang up his keys, but Wu turned around before he could escape his gaze.

"Dr. Harding, if you notice anything strange, you _will _tell me, yes? . . ."

"Of course."

Gerry began to walk away, but Wu turned around once more.

"One more thing: make sure you find Sattler's body. We don't want to leave her rotting on the shore. It attracts scavengers, you know . . ."

"Yes, sir."

When he was sure that Wu was gone, Gerry shuddered and dropped his keys on the dashboard. Maybe it was finally time to move back to San Diego.

***_TSJPFEW_***

After taking some time to regroup at the Visitors' Center, Ian and Alan headed to the hotel. They had been told that they could leave, and rightly so, but Ian had some business to attend to before packing up.

He used a pocketknife to open the door to Robin's flat and whistled softly. Orange trotted over, his collar tinkling merrily. He tried to rub up against Ian, but he mostly just head-butted his shin. Ian sighed and picked him up, holding the mass of fur in front of his face.

"Well, I guess I'm taking you home . . ." he sighed.

The cat responded by coughing up a hairball. Ian kicked the sticky lump off his shoe and carried the cat outside. It nuzzled up against his chest as they walked. Ian pretended not to notice.

When they arrived on the right floor (Orange had bopped the elevator buttons while he wasn't looking), Ian was surprised to find that Alan was not next door. He dismissed the oddness of the situation at first, but when he entered his own room, he could see that something was amiss. The red laser-yarn was hanging limp in some places, giving the impression that someone had been caught in its web.

Ian placed Orange on the carpet and held a loose end in the palm of his hand. Someone had been _in_ here, but they had left the rest of the room untouched. How peculiar . . .

"Hey, Orange! What do you make of this?" Ian asked, dangling the string in front of his face.

The cat batted a paw at the yarn, but missed it by a mile.

"Man, you _really_ aren't that bright . . ."

Orange hissed.

"Aw, come on. I was just k-"

Ian felt a sharp blow on the back of his head. He was unconscious before he could identify his attacker. 

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan didn't have the courage to pack. It felt like a kind of betrayal to fold Ellie's clothes and handle her possessions. She had worked so hard to keep everything neat and tidy, and all Alan could do was shove it away like it meant nothing to him. In reality, these things reminded him of what he loved about Ellie in the first place. She didn't just pay attention to detail: she made an effort to improve upon the seemingly insignificant things so that the people she cared about would feel that they were important enough to merit her attention. Now that she was gone, Alan was sure that he never really deserved her immeasurable devotion. He had only managed to cause trouble, and it caught up with them in the end. All he could do now was try to clean up without breaking down.

For a while, he managed to keep it together, though it was especially tough to throw away the post-it notes. How long had they tried to decipher the meaning of the hidden clues and scraps of information? It didn't matter now.

Although he made it through most of the cleaning without incident, something in Alan snapped when he found a long, blond hair on Ellie's pillow. Of all the things to cry about, this was probably the_ last_ thing he would have expected. Even so, he was now tormented by the fact that there was no longer an Ellie to shed these hairs. What might have been an annoyance, the day before, was now an artifact of sorts. This hair was a reminder of the past, not unlike a fossil. The only difference was that Alan had _known_ the person who left this clue behind. Ellie wasn't a mystery: her quirks and mannerisms were more than familiar to Alan. If someone were to ask him to write an essay on everything he knew about Ellie, his paper would consist of no less than a thousand volumes. But now, like so much of his work, he was dealing with an extinct species. Everything that couldhave been, all the time they could have spent together, had been snuffed out by the douter of mortality. There was no more Ellie. He'd never see her smile, and he'd never hear her laugh. She was _gone_, plain and simple. And what had she left behind? A couple of scientific discoveries? A broken heart?

And then, the truth dawned on him. No one would ever know how Ellie had died. Wu would most certainly lie to the public, and no one would believe Alan if he tried to expose the truth. He couldn't possibly compete with InGen. If Ian's story seemed laughable, then _this_ series of events could be considered the mother of all unbelievable anecdotes.

As the harsh reality of his situation began to sink in, Alan found that he couldn't bear to stay indoors any longer. He walked brusquely out of the room and caught the elevator, secretly hoping that he wouldn't run into Ian on the way down. Alan wasn't exactly in a sociable mood (to put it lightly), and he didn't want to upset his friend any further. It would be best if they simply parted ways.

Wandering aimlessly through the courtyard, Alan found that his thoughts were unusually disjointed and confused. Maybe he was still in shock. That might explain the randomness of his pondering. For some reason, he kept replaying the last few moments of Ellie's life in his mind. A part of him was still trying to search for some way that she could have survived. It didn't matter how much he analyzed the situation: the simple fact was that Ellie had fallen into the ocean without resurfacing. There was no current to carry her away, there was no boat to rescue her, and there was absolutely no way that she could swim as a T-Rex. She was dead.

And yet . . .

No. It was impossible for her to have survived.

But no one had seen her die . . .

No, no, no! It was dangerous to encourage false hope.

There might be a way . . .

Alan tried to shut out this petulant sliver of optimism, but it refused to leave him alone. There seemed to be a disconnect between what he had witnessed and what_ should_ have been. First, Ellie had disappeared beneath the waves without ever resurfacing. This was strange, since she had always been an excellent swimmer. Even as a dinosaur, she should have retained _some_ of that competence. If not, it was still a counterintuitive result, as she should have (at the very least) floated to the top. It was unlikely that her mass made a difference: the body of the drowned baryonyx had resurfaced just fine, and he was _much _bigger than a T-Rex. But what could have pulled her under and dragged her away from the cliffs? Alan's theory still didn't hold up . . .

"Dr. Grant?"

Alan snapped out of his trance. Of all the people he could have passed on his aimless journey, Wu was the worst possible choice. Not only had he been partly responsible for Ellie's death, but he was the most apathetic, vile, and altogether uncaring man on the island. Alan walked past him without breaking his stride.

"Hey, wh- Wait! Stop!"

Wu bolted forward, blocking Alan's path.

"Look, I know we aren't exactly on good terms right now-"

Alan pushed him away.

"-but I need to tell you something!" he puffed as he tried to match Alan's pace. Suddenly, Alan rounded on him, causing Wu to flinch in a preemptive defense reflex.

"Why should I listen to _you_? You're a monstrous and malevolent man!"

"I'm not-"

"You are _brainless_, _heartless_, _spineless_-"

"That's hardly-"

"You let others die in cold blood-"

"You don't know what you're-"

"-and you refuse to take responsibility for your actions," Alan finished. Wu sighed and rubbed his temples.

"You're right. This is all my fault. I'm sorry."

It was nothing short of a miracle to hear these words, especially from Wu. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Alan ignored Wu's quasi-robotic tone and remained silent.

"I wish I could take it all back, really I do," Wu sighed, "But I'm only _one_ man . . . "

"You have to go public with this."

Wu blinked.

"I don't- I don't understand . . ." he stammered uneasily.

"If you continue to lie, more and more people will get hurt. It is your duty to tell the world what happened to Ellie . . . her, and all the other scientists who have died on account of your foolish pride."

Wu stared blankly for a few seconds, then nodded.

"I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this, but I now see that I must set things right."

He turned around and began walking down a dirt path.

"Follow me. I have something to show you."

***_TSJPFEW_*** 

'SCREEEEEEEEE!'

Alan flinched as a hideous wail echoed off the walls of the raptor paddock. Wu smiled mockingly. This whole scene was eerily familiar, though there was only one raptor (thank god), and no bloody cow carcass (also a good thing). The contained raptor seemed to be juvenile, probably under six months, but fearsome, nonetheless.

The raptor looked up at them and hissed, pulling its face into a frown.

"He's a spirited little tyke, isn't he?" Wu said sarcastically.

"I suppose so," Alan hummed, "Why do you keep him here?"

Wu smiled.

"For research purposes. He has interesting genes, this one."

The raptor snapped at them angrily, pawing at the ground with hatred.

"Can't he fly?" Alan asked nervously.

Wu chuckled.

"Not while he's wearing that collar," he said, pointing to a grey band around the raptor's neck.

"Why's that?" Alan asked, watching the raptor out of the corner of his eye.

"It's made of dysprosium," Wu explained, "For some reason, it's the only metal that can't be absorbed during mutation. We have _no_ _idea_ why . . ."

"I think you're playing with _an awful lot_ of fire," Alan grumbled.

"Control is no illusion, Dr. Grant. I have the power to create, change, and destroy as I see fit. These creatures are my possessions. I don't worry about them any more than you worry about your hat or your shoes. Once these dinosaurs are contained, they no longer pose a threat. We are safe."

Alan shook his head.

"No one is safe in Jurassic Park."

"You're wrong. There is only _one _thing to be feared on this entire island."

"You?" Alan asked sardonically. Wu smiled.

"Right. But if I were you, I'd be more concerned about _him_," he said, pointing to the infant raptor.

Alan turned his head.

"What-"

Wu pushed him into the raptor paddock.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie felt like a prisoner of war. An eight-party procession of raptors was escorting her silently through the jungle, leaving no possible escape route. If she so much as stepped an inch out of the ring, she'd be dead within a millisecond. What's more, she had to keep a steady pace, or the raptors behind her would snap their jaws in warning, which she most definitely did not enjoy. For once, she could tell that the dinosaurs' expressions matched their temperament perfectly. These animals were hostile, and it was only a matter of time before they turned on her. So what were they _waiting_ for? Ellie dared not ask.

As they pushed deeper into the jungle, Ellie began to identify her captors. It wasn't easy to tell them apart, but some individuals stood out more than others. The most obviously marked raptor had a scar on the left side of her face. The gash must have been quite severe, as it began on her eyebrow and ended just under her bottom lip. It was hard to ignore the cicatrix, and Ellie found herself staring at it with curiosity. The raptor noticed this, and snarled at her. Ellie looked away quickly, but continued to observe the pack.

The two smallest raptors seemed to be only a little taller than Ellie, and were strikingly similar in appearance (more than the other raptors, that is). The only noticeable differences were the wounds they sustained. One raptor had a bruised snout, while the other had black grill-marks on his side. These must have been the raptors that Ellie had encountered the day before. There was no sign of the third raptor that had hunted her, however: this troop had a single female at the helm, and it was unlikely that her attacker could sustain such a large scar in so little time.

Aside from these minor clues, it was nearly impossible to tell the dinosaurs apart. They were all brown with green eyes, and their hues had little to no variation. They were worse than penguins . . .

Suddenly, the pack stopped dead in their tracks. Ellie, who had been wrapped up in her thoughts, almost crashed into the front of the procession. It was a good thing she didn't, or she might have found herself torn apart on the spot.

'We have arrived,' the scarred raptor said monotonously.

Ellie looked around for some sort of landmark. They were at the foot of a pointy mountain, but other than that, the jungle looked exactly the same as it had five minutes ago.

'Where-'

The scarred raptor pushed Ellie into a tangle of vines. When she was through, Ellie found herself standing on a pointed kopje. The pack ushered her to the edge. She turned around and tried to beseech their mercy.

'Look, I don't know why you've brought me here, but I have no quarrel with you or any of your fr-'

She looked over the peak and felt her legs go limp. The rock overlooked a profound valley with impressive stone walls and deep caverns. At the bottom of this metamorphic bucket was a crowd of fifty or sixty raptors, all staring at her with fierce, green eyes.

Ellie squeaked.

'We have found one of the infected!' the scarred raptor proclaimed.

The crowd broke into their signature craw-craw-crawing, filling the canyon with haunting echoes. Ellie thought she might faint.

'Let it be known that the revolution has begun! Soon, we will take back what is rightfully ours!'

Oh god, they were going to kill her! Ellie was about to be sacrificed to insurrectionist velociraptors (two words that should never be placed in the same sentence), and she wasn't even wearing shoes!

'Together, we shall bring down InGen and everything that it stands for! Step forward, Ellie Sattler . . .'

Without warning, Ellie exploded into a fit of nonsense. The audience watched in confusion as she began to hop around in a spastic dance, shouting gibberish at her captors.

'I can't die! I'm _too young_ to die! I'm not taking any of your Huitzilopochtli bullshit! If you want a sacrifice, find my mystical pteranodon: _he'll_ give you religious fulfillment!'

They closed in around her, but with trepidation.

'Don't touch me! Don't you_ dare_ touch me!'

The bruised raptor brushed up against her. Ellie shrieked.

'Leave me alone! Leave me_ alone_! Alan! Alaaaaaaaaa-'

The grilled raptor pecked her.

'Ow . . .' Ellie said, rubbing her forehead.

'Would you _shut up_?! You're acting like a crazy person!' he growled. Ellie stared at him blankly.

'I knew we should have explained everything to her _beforehand_ . . .' the bruised raptor hummed regretfully.

'Explained? Explained _what_? . . .' Ellie asked.

'You're going to help us take down InGen.'

'_Wha_t?! I can't- _Oh, geez_!'

They pushed her to the edge of the cliff. The crowd stared at her expectantly. Ellie looked over her shoulder, but the raptors had backed away. The scarred raptor gestured with her paw. They wanted her to _speak_!

'Um . . . Greetings! My name is Ellie Sattler. I'm a paleobotanist . . .'

'Tell them your plan!' the scarred raptor whispered loudly.

'Plan? I don't_ have_ a plan! I just got here . . .'

The raptor snuffed.

'Let me rephrase that. Tell them your plan, or I'll cut out your spleen.'

Ellie turned around quickly.

'Ladies and gentlemen- I mean, raptors and . . . other raptors. I have been told that you are starting a rebellion, which I am apparently going to help you organize. Don't worry: I have a plan. It's a good plan, too, with lots of strategic . . . strategy. Personally, I think this plan is _very_ likely to succeed, and I have no doubt that we will be triumphant!'

'What's the plan?' a voice asked from the audience.

'The plan? Right, um . . . The plan is . . . Well, it's really more of a _scheme_ . . .'

'She _has_ no plan!' boomed an elegant female voice.

The crowd parted to reveal a tall raptor, who seemed to radiate authority from head to tail. She stepped forward with careful strides, her talons clicking on the stone as she descended into the congregation.

Ellie frowned. This was the raptor who had hunted her.

'If you think that this _human_ is here to help us, then you are sorely mistaken,' the female said smoothly.

'This does not concern you, Chieftain!' the scarred raptor hissed.

'Oh, but it does,' she replied in an even tone, 'By inviting this human into our home, you have put the pack in danger. If you turn your back on her, the consequences will be _deadly_. She will not help us.'

'You're wrong! This woman is our last hope, and you _know_ it! We can't keep attacking the stronghold like before. The guards will continue to pick us off _one by one_. We need new ideas. We need _HER_.'

Ellie backed away shyly. The chieftain chuckled.

'We don't _need_ anyone! We are raptors! We stand strong!'

A few members of the crowd barked in agreement.

'We can't rely on our old tricks . . .' the scarred raptor insisted.

'Then we shall come up with new ones!'

'Chieftain, the scientists will always have the upper hand . . .'

The crowd was getting restless. This argument had obviously created a rift among the raptors.

'They do not possess any assets!' the chieftain proclaimed stubbornly.

'What about your son?' Ellie asked.

The crowd fell silent. Ellie stepped closer to the edge of the rock and stared down at the chieftain.

'They took him from you, didn't they? Call me crazy, but from where I stand, your plans don't seem to be all that reliable.'

The chieftain was clearly surprised to see a human standing up to her. She stepped onto a half-interred boulder. Ellie did not break eye contact.

'You should know better than to challenge me, human.'

'And _you_ should know better than to squander this opportunity. I can help you.'

The chieftain snickered.

'Why would a _human_ ever help a raptor?'

'Because I hate InGen as much as you do.'

The crowd broke into excited whispers.

'You lie,' the chieftain asserted.

Ellie shook her head.

'We have a common goal. InGen must fall, but for that to happen, we need to make a deal.'

The chieftain stepped forward.

'I'm listening . . .'

'I will help you win back Jurassic Park, but when the battle is over, you must grant me safe passage off Isla Nublar.'

'Is that_ all_?'

'No. You must promise not to kill anyone.'

A ripple of confused murmuring spread through the crowd.

'My plan is to infiltrate and incapacitate,' Ellie explained, 'I want every single person to be evacuated from this island without any unnecessary violence.'

'You are naïve. These terms are impossible,' the chieftain declared.

'No. They aren't. Not for what I have planned,' Ellie proclaimed confidently, 'If we're gonna do this, we do this _my_ way.'

The chieftain paced back and forth. Finally, she snorted and stood upright.

'Very well. You have three days to put this plan into action. If you attempt to escape or betray us in any way, you _will_ be killed. Understood?'

'Understood.'

The chieftain hopped down from her rock.

'Do not disappoint me.'

As Ellie turned away from the kopje, she felt her stomach twist. What had she gotten herself into?

'Come with us,' the scarred raptor said, brushing up against Ellie, 'We will make sure that you have somewhere to stay for the night.'

Wonderful. Not only did Ellie have to lead a rebellion, but she would also have to live among the most terrifying creatures imaginable. Unless she were to develop Stockholm syndrome at some point, this was going to be a _very_ unpleasant stay. And then there was the matter of her plan . . .

The truth was, Ellie had been bluffing. She had no plan, never mind a pacifistic alternative, but she had to let the raptors believe that killing her would be a mistake. If they considered her an asset, maybe she could stay alive long enough to improvise another crazy escape.

But that was a pretty big "if".


	15. Oddleh Seckthual

It was cold. Very cold.

Ian groaned and tried to roll over. When it became clear that movement was not an option, he sat still and breathed deeply. His head was still throbbing from the attack, and he didn't particularly care for the way he was positioned. He seemed to be strapped to a slab of metal, not unlike a dissected frog. His limbs were fastened to the table with tight leather belts, which cut off his circulation whenever he shifted. This wasn't looking good.

"Please tell me I'm not about to be probed . . ." he moaned drowsily.

He heard a metallic clank to his left.

"Dr. Richthofen! He's awake!" a female voice croaked.

"Damn right, I'm awake! Is someone going to tell me what's going on?"

A wrinkly man with silver hair stepped forward and shone a bright light on Ian's face. He squinted and tried to turn his head. This only made him dizzier.

"Zees ees a small- How you say?- a small procedure . . ." the doctor said with an insincere solace.

"Oh, great," Ian huffed, "I'm going to be the lab-rat for a Soviet scientist . . ."

"I AM GERMAN!" he barked.

"Well, isn't that cliché . . ." Ian quipped.

"You vhould do best to hold your tongck, Meester Malcolm!" the doctor crooned mockingly.

The unseen woman cackled like a witch. Ian rolled his eyes.

"Does it really matter? I mean, you're going to, uh, kill me, right? You wouldn't do all of . . . _this_ if you expected me to leave. This doesn't seem legal . . ."

"Schnauze! On this island, there is no law!"

"Great, great . . . So is this going to be vivisection, or what?" Ian asked bitterly.

Richthofen slammed his fist on the table. The noise would have made Ian jump, but he was immobilized.

"Vhee do not vheevheesect here! I am _geneticist_!" he barked.

"No, you are _crazy_," Ian retorted monotonously.

"Enough talk! Gag heem, Trixie!"

The pudgy, red-haired woman from the plains waddled over and shoved a cloth into Ian's mouth. He wretched a little, then sputtered.

"Dith ithn't vewwy hoomayn . . ." he said through the rag.

Richthofen picked up a syringe filled with amber-colored liquid and tapped the side. Ian wiggled nervously.

"Whadd aw you goin' thoo tehwl mah famiwee? Ah can' juthd go mithing . . ." he slobbered.

"Oh, Meester Malcolm. You are _so_ naïve. Do you theenk vhee are zhat careless? Vhee'f been doinck thees for quite some time . . ."

"Pweeth tehwl meh you di'in do dith thoo Awan!" Ian gasped.

"Vhat?"

"Awan. Awan Gwand. The pawee'ntowogith," Ian elaborated.

". . . Vhat?"

Ian groaned.

"Heeth mah fwehnd. Hafenth you theen him?"

Richthofen turned to Trixie. She shrugged.

"I can't understand a vhord you are sayinck," he clucked.

"Add weeth'd ah dund haff a widicuwouth athent . . ." Ian spat.

Suddenly, a door slammed loudly. Ian turned to see what was happening, but he couldn't move his head all the way to the side without hurting his neck. The cacophonous clanging of shoes on a catwalk echoed through the chamber.

"Dr. Wu!" Trixie gasped.

"Alan Grant is dead!" Wu wailed.

Ian's heart did a somersault.

It couldn't be true! There must be some mistake . . .

"He was so distraught . . . I tried to save him, but there was nothing I could do. He jumped into the raptor pen before I could reach him."

Ian frowned. His panic slowly melted into fury. Alan hadn't taken his own life. This was Wu's doing. Ian began to thrash around like a serpent.

"WIAW! YOU PUTH'D HIM! YOU KILLED MAH FWEHND! YOU KILLED MAH FWEHND!" he roared.

Ian heard a slimy chuckle.

"Not much gets past you, does it, Mr. Malcolm? But it's good enough to fool everyone else, no? . . ."

Ian thrashed around on the table angrily, growling through the rag.

"Shhhhhh . . . There's no need for that. We aren't going to hurt you . . ."

"Much," Trixie added.

Ian continued to struggle.

"You see, Mr. Malcolm, you are about to be a part of something _beautiful_."

"Beautiful . . ." Trixie echoed.

"Shush! This is MY monologue!" Wu spat.

"Thuddubb, Wu!" Ian growled. Wu clucked his tongue.

"You're quite the fighter . . ."

Ian stopped struggling.

"Did anehbodeh elth find thad oddleh seckthual?"

"Impertinent to the last . . ." Wu grumbled. He nodded to Richthofen, who promptly grabbed the syringe and stuck it in Ian's upper arm. The pressure of the fluid was _nothing_ compared to what came next. A painful burning spread all over Ian's body, causing him to shake and twitch uncontrollably.

"THUK! THUK!"

Wu smiled.

"It's a shame that you won't be able to fully grasp the irony of your situation," he sneered, "I'll bet you didn't know that I was listening to you on the plane. I found your conversation quite interesting. Especially the part about 'utahraptor' . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

After Ellie's speech, the raptors decided to give her a tour of the valley. The sky was turning from orange to purple, and it was hard to see exactly where she was stepping. Ellie tripped over the exposed roots and broken branches, creating a humorous snapping noise wherever she went. The raptors dismissed it as general clumsiness and waited patiently as she stumbled on the uneven terrain.

'These are the caves. We mostly use them for storage, but that big one over there is where we sleep,' the scarred raptor said, pointing to a series of caverns.

They moved away from the grottos and headed towards the opposite side of the valley. The other raptors stared at Ellie as she staggered across the clearing. It was a little embarrassing . . .

'That's the spring. It doesn't always flow . . .'

They walked past a fountain-shaped crag, though there certainly wasn't any water trickling down at the moment.

'That's a tree. We climb it sometimes.'

Ellie yawned. She had to admit that the scarred raptor's presentation wasn't all that enthralling. There just wasn't that much to see. Well, except the other raptors. They were interesting.

'Why do you rub up against each other?' Ellie asked, pointing to two raptors who were doing exactly what she had described.

'Hm? Oh, that. It's just a greeting. Most theropods do it,' the scarred raptor said dismissively.

Ellie smiled.

'It's kind of catlike, don't you think?' she giggled. The scarred raptor snuffed.

'I wouldn't know. There aren't too many cats on this island.'

'I saw a cat once!' the bruised raptor piped up.

'And we'll never hear the end of it!' the grilled raptor sighed.

Ellie wasn't paying attention anymore. She sensed a looming presence above the valley. The chieftain was staring down at her from the kopje with an ominous frown. Ellie met her gaze without a trace of fear. This was certainly going to be an interesting rivalry . . .

'. . . stuck in the hole, but we got him out eventually. Anyway, this is where we eat. Are you hungry?'

Ellie was beyond starving, but the menu was looking rather unappetizing. Most of what had been carried back from the plains consisted of either severed limbs or intestines. Ellie didn't know if dinosaurs were particularly edible, but it would be foolish to eat raw meat from any animal, let alone extinct ones.

'Um . . . You wouldn't happen to have any fruit, would you?' Ellie asked shyly.

'_FRUIT_?! What do we look like? Duckbills?' one of the raptors spat.

'She can't eat meat, stupid!' another raptor growled.

'Well, it's not that I _can't _eat meat . . .' Ellie began.

'Oh, don't worry. We hunt all sorts of things. Bring her a chicken!' the scarred raptor barked. One of the raptors dropped a half-plucked chicken into Ellie's arms. She shrieked and dropped the mangy carcass. It practically disintegrated when it hit the ground.

'Picky, isn't she?' a raptor remarked.

The bruised raptor stepped forward nervously.

'I can go find some fruit . . .' he offered.

'Be quick about it! It'll be dark soon,' the scarred raptor ordered.

'I'm sorry. I don't want to be a burden . . .' Ellie sighed, forgetting that she was, in fact, being held hostage.

'Don't worry about it. We expected to run into some issues when we planned this out. All things considered, you're doing surprisingly well!' the scarred raptor chirped.

'Thank you? . . .' Ellie replied uncertainly.

'Oh, don't thank us: _we're_ the ones who kidnapped you,' another raptor piped up. The scarred raptor pecked her comrade, who bent his head in shame.

'It's fine, really,' Ellie said quickly.

The raptors stared at her with confusion.

'. . . Well, maybe it's not _fine_, but I was kind of being held hostage anyway . . .'

'By whom?' a raptor asked.

'By Wu.'

The pack hissed at the mention of his name.

'Yeah, I have to agree with you on that one,' Ellie grumbled.

'Well, the enemy of our enemy is our friend,' the scarred raptor chuckled.

Ellie raised her eyebrow.

'You know, for a species that has been extinct for millions of year, you sure do know a lot of idioms . . .'

'Eh. We pick things up here and there,' the scarred raptor replied breezily.

Ellie crossed her arms and smiled coyly.

'So, what other tricks do you have up your sleeve? . . .'

***_TSJPFEW_***

To Alan's surprise, he woke up in one piece, though he was severely bruised from the fall. He had hit several branches on his way down, but he didn't remember what exactly had knocked him out. Maybe he had fallen on his head. In any case, if he was still in the raptor paddock, he was in _big _trouble.

After making sure that nothing was broken, Alan sat up and rubbed his head. He was definitely in the enclosure, but he didn't see the raptor anywhere-

_WHAP!_

The infant jumped on Alan's torso, knocking him flat on his back. It gurgled angrily and tapped its toes against his chest.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Alan said cryptically.

The raptor growled and leaned closer to Alan's face. In the blink of an eye, Alan rolled over, taking the infant with him. He grabbed its snout before it could react and pinned it to the ground. To prevent the raptor from kicking, Alan put his knee over both of its legs. It squawked and became still.

"Don't get any funny ideas," Alan grumbled.

However, it soon became clear that they were at an impasse. Alan couldn't let the raptor go, but he couldn't make an escape if he was busy holding it down. To make matters worse, there was no way to climb out of the pen. He was as good as dead.

Alan sighed and looked at the tiny raptor. He was whimpering like a puppy, and he seemed very frightened. The metal collar shined dully around his neck. It was held together by a mechanism that required opposable thumbs to operate. There were several scratches along the sides of the band. Apparently, the infant was unable to open the clasp on his own.

After careful consideration, Alan unfastened the device. If he was going to die, the least he could do was set this poor child free. At least it would cause a little commotion for Wu. After fiddling around for a bit, Alan managed to unlock the bolt. The collar fell to the ground heavily, kicking up a small puff of dust.

"All right. Go on, now!" Alan said tersely.

The raptor dashed away as soon as he let go, chirping nervously. He hid behind a bush, peeking out occasionally to see if Alan would attack. When he didn't, the infant stepped out into the open and stared at him with curiosity and trepidation. He didn't quite know what to make of this situation, it seemed.

Alan stared back at the raptor, who cocked his head innocently. Finally, the infant sprouted vibrant blue feathers and flew out of the pen. To finally see the avian mutation was so shocking that Alan wasn't able to move for a solid minute. Eventually, he began to worry. If he was found alone in the paddock, there was a great deal of things that could go wrong. He was supposed to be dead, and there was no doubt that Wu would attempt to finish the job if he found out that his plan hadn't succeeded.

_CRACK!_

Alan leapt to his feet as a shower of sparks snapped and crackled over his head. The noise was startling, but it dissipated after a few seconds. Alan looked up from under his arms, which he had been using to cover his face. The top of the fence had been violently split in half by a fallen tree, which smoked like a discarded cigar. What on earth had happened?

Alan froze when he heard a rhythmic sliding sound. The hiss was broken into intervals, like the sweeping of a broom. Slowly, a vine descended through the aperture, sliding down the wall like a drunken snake. When it hit the ground, the plant stopped moving. Alan stepped forward cautiously. The raptor peeked over the precipice.

'Squawk!'

He looked at the vine, then at Alan, then at the vine again. Was this a rescue?

Tugging on the vine to make sure that it would support his weight, Alan hoisted himself up, little by little. He spun around a couple of times, but made it over the wall without major incident. When he tumbled onto the viewing platform, the raptor backed away timidly. Alan stood up and brushed himself off.

"Thanks . . ."

"No problem!"

With this, Alan nearly stumbled backwards over the fence.

"YOU CAN _TALK_?!" he sputtered. The raptor blinked.

"I can mimic. Parrots mimic."

"Parrots? . . ."

"They're a type of bird," the raptor said matter-of-factly.

"I know what a parrot is!" Alan spat.

"Then why'd you ask?"

"I wasn't- I just- What does any of this have to do with _PARROTS_?" Alan shrieked.

The raptor donned blue plumage to make a point.

"Ah. So you can vocalize. That's interesting . . ."

"Not vocalize: mimic."

Alan shook his head.

"You aren't just mimicking; you're _conversing_. We understand each other. Parrots don't know what they're saying. They repeat words without conscious thought. Trust me: I taught Ellie's macaw some _very_ colorful words . . ."

Alan thought about all the times Ellie's mother had complained about the vulgar bird. It had gotten so bad that they were forced to put his cage in the basement during family dinners. The warmth of these memories was quickly overcast by the melancholic pang of loss, however. Alan sighed and directed his thoughts to the present.

"You know, I think you're smarter than the average bird," he said kindly.

"Thanks. You are too," the raptor sassed. Alan laughed.

"I sure hope so. I'm Alan, by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I don't have a name, but my mother is the chieftain."

"So, you have a pack?" Alan asked. The raptor nodded.

"Yes. There are sixty-eight of us."

Alan's eyes went wide.

"That's . . . a lot of raptors," he said blankly.

"Yeah, we tend to stick together. It's safer that way."

Alan nodded.

"Well, you'd better meet up with your family before Wu comes back . . ."

The raptor pawed at the ground uneasily.

"I . . . I don't know if I can find them on my own . . ." he said quietly.

"Don't you know where they are?" Alan asked.

"Well, we live at the bottom of Mount Sibo . . ."

Alan stared across the island. The mountain was very far, even for something as fast as a raptor. And then there were the predators . . .

"Look . . . if you want, I can take you there," Alan sighed with defeat.

"Really?" the raptor bubbled.

"Sure, sure. Just don't let me slow you d-"

The raptor hopped onto his shoulders. Alan stumbled. He was heavier than he looked.

"Oh, this is going to be so much _fun_! We can go see the plains, the mountains, the canyon . . . My brothers told me that there's a haunted bridge that goes across the canyon. Can we cross it? Please, please, please?"

"We'll see . . ." Alan grunted as he steadied himself.

"Yippee! We're going on an ADVENTURE!"

Alan smiled. After so much heartache, it was nice to see some enthusiasm, even from a raptor. He just hoped that his pack would be merciful . . . Oh, hell, nothing could be worse than Wu and his scientists.

With the raptor blabbering excitedly on his shoulders, Alan began his trek into the lush jungle, uncharacteristically wary of the scientists who occupied the very compound he was leaving.

***_TSJPFEW_*** 

Much to Ellie's surprise, the bruised raptor (now affectionately nicknamed Rocky) brought back a wide array of berries and fruit. Most of it turned out to be poisonous or inedible, but Ellie managed to pick out a bunch of bananas and a couple of wild strawberries to eat. The grilled raptor (Buzz) made a few nasty comments about primates while Ellie wolfed down the bananas, but she was far too famished to care.

It was getting easier to identify the raptors, she noticed, though this wasn't merely due to her ability to recognize their distinct voices. Some sort of instinct seemed to be kicking in, though Ellie didn't know whether it was scent-based or visual. The other five raptors in the band of eight had distinct personalities, which made them identifiable by their posture and movement. While they tended to oppose her naming habits (indeed, they weren't that flattering, though it was partly deserved), there was nothing stopping her from designating certain epithets in her mind. For simplicity's sake, it was far easier to assign titles to the gang.

First, there was Bucky. He was very impulsive and not all that bright (for a raptor, that is). Like Ellie, he had a certain energy about him, though it was amplified to an excessive degree. Although he lacked patience, he didn't seem to let himself get frustrated with the other raptors. Ellie generally liked him, and he didn't seem to have any particular quarrel with her.

Next, there was Lance. Ellie harbored negative feelings towards him, as he appeared to be boastful and vain. He seemed to enjoy her company, as she was the only person polite enough to listen to his self-indulgent anecdotes. Aside from his pride, he seemed to be athletic, which could be helpful if she ever figured out what her big plan was going to be.

After that, there was Crusher. Oh, how Ellie _hated_ Crusher. If there was one raptor who was more bumptious than Lance, it was _definitely_ him. To make matters worse, he seemed to have a sadistic personality (admittedly, Ellie had expected this from _more_ raptors, but that didn't mean that his graphic description of hadrosaur evisceration was any less disgusting to listen to).

On the opposite side of the spectrum was Kipper. He was cheerful and pleasant. For this reason, he often got into little scraps with Crusher. These were mostly short-lived, however, and rarely violent (from Kipper's side, anyway).

Finally, there was Otto. Ellie didn't quite know what to make of him. He didn't speak, and he never really changed his expression. He just stared blankly at everything. Something about him was unsettling, though it was hard to say what the root of this phenomenon was. In any case, she felt uncomfortable making eye contact with him.

Ellie was somewhat disappointed to learn that her group comprised of misfits and outcasts within the colony. Aside from the scarred raptor, their band was held together with the disciplinary equivalent of day-old sticky tack. She would need _a lot_ more support if they were going to raid the human side of the park.

_If_.

By this point, Ellie's situation was something of a ball toss. She KNEW that it was a longshot, she KNEW that her skills weren't up to par, she KNEW that the game was probably rigged, but by god, if she was going to lose anyway, there was no harm in taking the shot. Maybe she could even have a little fun while she was at it . . .

As the sky went dark, the raptors began to trickle out of the clearing to find refuge in the caves. Soon, her own group retreated as well. As they entered a dark cavern, Ellie noticed that certain raptors were headed in the opposite direction. She had wondered why the pack seemed to be active during the day, but now it was clear that they alternated between diurnal and nocturnal individuals. She had no doubt that their eyes were sharp enough to see in the dark. They were, after all, able to guide her through the cave, which indicated that their night vision was better than her own.

When they finally arrived on a flat stretch of rock (which happened to be a good distance away from most of the other raptors), the gang rested in a sort of dog-pile. Not wanting to interfere with them, Ellie lay down a few feet away. The rock was cold, but she was very, very tired.

'Pssst!'

Ellie opened her eyes. Rocky was looking at her expectantly.

'What is it?' she asked quietly.

'Is it true that humans don't lay eggs?'

Ellie raised her eyebrow.

'Yes. Most mammals don't lay eggs.'

The raptor stared in disbelief.

'Do the babies just come out whole?'

Ellie nodded. The raptor gaped.

'How-'

A female from the other group shushed them.

'Sorry!' he said, lowering his voice, 'How do they fit their arms through?'

Ellie shrugged.

'They come out head first, so they probably just tuck them in.'

'Yuck.'

Ellie smiled.

'Well, it's certainly a lot messier than egg-laying,' she sighed, 'I'm sorry for throwing rocks at you, by the way . . .'

'Oh, it's nothing,' he hummed, 'It takes a lot more than sticks and stones to take down a raptor . . .'

'Like electricity, for example?' Buzz hissed bitterly.

'Well, I'm sorry about that too,' Ellie whispered, 'Even though it was _technically _your fault.'

'_MY_ FAULT?!'

The raptor shushed them again.

'Sorry . . .' he whispered, '_My_ fault? Why on earth would it be _my_ fault?'

'Because you jumped on me,' Ellie said simply.

'She's right, you know,' Rocky added. Buzz snuffed.

'Well, it's not _my_ fault you wouldn't sit still . . .'

'Forgive me for not wanting to _die_,' Ellie snapped.

'Cut it out! You're going to get us in trouble!' Rocky hissed.

'You should listen to him,' the scarred raptor interjected, 'I have a low tolerance for petty arguments.'

'And some of us are _trying_ to rest!' Lance added.

'We wouldn't want to interrupt your beauty sleep . . .' Ellie sassed coyly. Lance hissed and turned away from them.

'He's a sensitive fellow, isn't he?' Ellie whispered.

'He's just not used to being around a human, that's all . . . ' Rocky said apologetically.

'I don't think any raptors are. Not that I blame you. I can't imagine the scientists have been particularly kind . . .'

'Understatement of the century!' Buzz hissed.

'Or in your case, several million years . . .' Ellie quipped.

'Hey, I'm only eight months old!' Buzz retorted.

'Fair enough . . . Wait, you're only _eight months_ _old_?' Ellie gasped.

'Yeah, why?'

'Well, you seem to be almost fully-grown. That doesn't match our paleontological estimates . . . Then again, nothing's cut-and-dried with InGen . . .'

'What do you mean?' Rocky asked.

Ellie crinkled her nose.

'Well, I heard that you were given extended lifespans, but as far as growth-rate is concerned, I never really thought about it. It makes sense, though. I don't know how long InGen has been making dinosaurs, but I'll bet that they couldn't produce fully-grown brachiosaurs without a little tampering. Who are your oldest raptors?'

'I'm one of the oldest,' the scarred raptor said with a newfound interest, 'I'm only three years old. I was born in the wild, but many of my broodmates died when our parents left. They were taken away because the scientists deemed them unsafe for public viewing.'

'I'm sorry . . .' Ellie said gently.

'Don't be. When the contained raptors died, I became chieftain for a short period of time. They shipped new raptors over from Sorna, and their leader wasn't very strong. I killed her. One of the remaining four was murdered by a human. Then our _current _chieftain came along . . .'

'She seems like a jerk,' Ellie remarked.

'She's our mother,' Rocky and Buzz chorused.

Ellie sucked air through her teeth.

'Sorry . . .'

'She challenged me . . . and won,' the scarred raptor continued, 'But she considers me an asset, so I am allowed to live . . .'

'Is she the one who, um . . .' Ellie mumbled, pointing to her scar awkwardly.

'No. That was a human.'

Ellie nodded.

'So, where was the chieftain born? There were only three raptors in the paddock when I came here last, and they all died . . .'

'That's where things get interesting . . .' the scarred raptor said once she was sure that no one else was eavesdropping, 'Rumor has it that the chieftain was hatched in a lab on this very island.'

'Our pack leader was defeated by a _housepet_!' Crusher laughed. The scarred raptor snapped at him.

'I was NOT defeated by a housepet! Our chieftain is unnaturally gifted in combat . . .'

'Do you usually kill each other during dominance displays?' Ellie asked fearfully.

'Not always. Like I said, an asset is an asset. But some assets are better than others . . .' the scarred raptor sighed regretfully, 'Anyway, I didn't particularly want to kill that raptor from Sorna, if that's what you're asking.'

'Everyone keeps talking about Sorna. What_ is_ it?' Ellie whispered.

'The other island,' Lance interjected, 'Most of us were born there.'

Great. So there were TWO dinosaur-infested islands to worry about. It made sense, though. InGen had a certain talent for prehistoric breeding, but no one was _that_ good. Their rate of survival must not be as flawless as they claimed . . .

'So why was your chieftain not born on Sorna?' Ellie asked.

'Who knows?' Crusher huffed with exasperation, 'We've tried asking around, but no one actually witnessed her birth.'

'Or what came after,' the scarred raptor sneered, 'She fights like a demon. No one knows why. She's cruel, ruthless, and stubborn. I'm surprised you were able to convince her to spare your life.'

'Well, I have a way with words,' Ellie replied airily, 'In all honesty, I don't think she's a particularly good leader.'

'She commands respect,' the scarred raptor said tersely.

'Admiration doesn't stem from fear,' Ellie jeered, 'Tyrants are almost always overthrown in the end . . .'

'I'm not going to challenge her to a rematch, if _that's_ what you're hinting at. Even if it was possible to win, don't think for a_ second_ that I'd set you free. As far as I'm concerned, you're only out to save your own hide. If that's what it takes to get you to help us, fine. But I'm _not_ putting your needs ahead of anyone else's.'

'I know . . .' Ellie sighed, 'I just wish you hadn't sprung this on me so suddenly . . .'

The scarred raptor twitched uncomfortably.

'We- . . . I don't like taking hostages. I wish there was some other way, but the scientists are picking us off one by one . . .'

'I understand,' Ellie hummed, 'And I promise to do everything I can to help you.'

It was clear that none of the raptors believed her, but she decided not to press the issue any further. Truth be told, she was starting to side with them, a little. InGen had no right to take away their children for experimentation. These were intelligent beings, not livestock. They had rights . . .

Ellie shivered. It was hard to tell whether she was feeling _true _empathy or having a mental breakdown. Maybe this was some form of capture-bonding. This thought haunted Ellie until she fell asleep. For the first time in several days, she did not have a nightmare. Even on the cold, stone floor, Ellie slept like a log. It was hard, after all, to be afraid of bad dreams whilst sleeping amongst carnivores.


	16. Volcano!

"You know, not everyone believed me when I said that you guys lived longer than us. One of my friends told me that humans only live five years, but you look_ really_ old, so he must be wrong!"

Alan chuckled. For the past half hour, he had been subjugated to a barrage of questions and nature trivia, and he couldn't be happier about it. Something about the raptor's cheerfulness seemed to be contagious. He had all the innocence of a toddler, yet he was more perceptive than most human children would be. Being a dinosaur, he was expected to learn how to be independent at a very young age. Because of this, he would swing between extreme confidence and reserved shyness, sometimes quite spontaneously. It made the trip_ very_ interesting, _that_ was for sure.

"And how old do you think I am?" Alan asked sneakily.

"At least nine . . ."

Alan laughed.

"Well, I'm_ quite_ a bit older than that. I've been told that Nublar raptors live just as long as humans. Maybe you'll outlive me . . ."

"If the scientists don't get me first! . . . I don't know if I can wait any longer to grow up. My mom is always telling me that I'm destined to do great things, but I'm not big enough to scare anyone yet."

"I don't know, you seemed pretty scary to me . . ." Alan assured him.

"Really?" he beamed.

"Oh, sure. You had me shivering in my boots!"

"Hey! You're not even _wearing_ boots!"

"Because you scared them right off of me . . ."

"Haha! You're funny!"

"I try. Say, what do you call a blind dinosaur?"

"What?"

"Do-you-think-he-saurus."

The raptor giggled uncontrollably, nearly falling off of Alan's shoulders.

"Careful! You don't want to- OOF!"

The dinosaur pushed Alan's hat over his eyes.

"Sorry!"

"No problem . . ." Alan said as he steadied himself, "Just be careful. I don't think your mother would be too pleased if I brought you back in more than one piece."

The raptor sighed.

"She's _never_ pleased. I've tried to prove to her that I'm brave, but I always get into trouble. That's how I got caught in the first place; I was trying to hunt on my own. I guess it was a stupid idea . . ."

Alan gave a half-smile.

"At least you're safe now."

"Until we get back! My mom is going to be _furious_. I wish she was nice, like you. Do you have any children?"

"No."

"Do you have a partner?"

". . . Not anymore."

"Oh . . . Are you going to find someone else to, um . . . What do people do? . . . another person to _marry_?"

"I don't think I'm going to marry anybody," Alan said.

"Me neither."

They walked for a while. After a few minutes, the raptor poked Alan's cheek with his claw.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

Just when it seemed that they were going to leave it at that, the raptor resumed his cascade of questions.

"What happened to your last partner?"

"She died."

"How?"

"She drowned."

"Was she nice?"

"Yes."

"Was she pretty?"

"Yes."

"Was she smart?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you have kids?"

Alan slowed his pace.

"Things got in the way."

"Biological things?"

Boy, this kid had a vocabulary.

"No," Alan sighed, "We were just busy after . . ."

"After what?"

"After our first visit," Alan finished simply.

"Oh," the raptor said understandingly, though Alan knew for a fact that he had no idea what he was talking about, "What was she like?"

"Well . . ." Alan began, "She was very . . ."

Was there a single word that could describe Ellie? Alan didn't think so.

". . . cheerful," he finished weakly.

"Cheerful?"

"Yeah . . ."

Apparently, the raptor couldn't tell that Alan was uncomfortable talking about this particular subject. He didn't know whether this was related to his age or his species. Maybe it was a little bit of both.

"We'd better find a place to rest," Alan said grumpily, "It'll be dark soon."

***_TSJPFEW_***

'Pssst!'

Ellie didn't remember falling asleep. Her first thought was that it had only been a few minutes since the raptors had last spoken to her, but the moon was lighting the wall in a completely different place than before.

'_Pssssssssst_!'

'I'm awake! I'm awake!' Ellie whispered drowsily, 'What is it?'

Bucky shushed her.

'Follow us. Don't get caught.'

Bucky, Kipper, Rocky, and Buzz pulled her away from the other four raptors. They pushed her deeper into the cave. Apparently, there were two exits. Wonderful.

The raptors caught her as she tripped over a jagged stone.

'You know, this would be easier if you were a raptor . . .' Kipper hinted. Ellie shivered.

'I . . . I don't think I can _do_ that. It might look bad if we get caught . . .'

'Use your eyes, then.'

At first, Ellie thought it was a petty invective, but then she remembered that she could change her body in isolation. She focused on her eyes. Suddenly, the cave was almost perfectly lit. Raptor vision was nothing short of a miracle.

'Okay, I can see now. Where are we going?'

Buzz shushed her. Ellie scowled, but continued walking.

They snuck out of the cave one by one, painted silver with the gentle tinge of moonlight. When they were all outside, they huddled in a circle.

'Are we ready?' Kipper asked.

'I don't know what's going on . . .' Ellie hissed.

'You'll see. First, we must travel through the jungle and . . . and . . .'

He turned to the mouth of the cave. Otto was standing inside, staring down at them with his trademark expression. Everyone looked at him expectantly, but he did nothing.

'Fine. I guess he's coming along with us . . .' Rocky said uneasily.

Otto slithered down and joined them without saying a word.

'So, where _exactly_ are we going? . . .' Ellie asked.

***_TSJPFEW_***

A nauseating wave of heat washed over Ellie's face as a bubble of lava burst in front of her. The inside of Mount Sibo was churning with a fiery broth of molten rock. The temperature was borderline intolerable, especially since she was standing barefoot on volcanic rocks. The lava was spitting and splashing nearby in a slow-moving river of fire and sludge. Ellie didn't like where this was going . . .

'So, what are we supposed to do?' she asked nervously.

Buzz and Rocky smiled at each other (and yes, raptor smiles were terrifying).

'_You _are going to cross the boiling river and bring us a shiny stone,' Buzz said malevolently. Ellie looked at the rock bridge that led to a dark cave on the other side of the gurgling slag. This was a _very_ bad idea.

'I'm gonna have to say _no_ to this . . .' she sighed.

'Don't you want to be one of us?' Bucky coaxed. Ellie frowned.

'Is this some sort of rite of passage?'

'Maybe . . .' Kipper giggled.

'I'm not going to do something stupid for a bunch of _teenagers_. Do your parents know you're here?' Ellie sassed.

'They're _dead_,' Bucky and Kipper chorused.

'But if you want to take it up with _our _mother, we could arrange a meeting . . .' Buzz threatened. Ellie sighed.

'If I do this, will you promise to behave yourselves in the future?'

'Yes!' they chirped (except for Otto). Ellie stretched her arms.

'Okay . . . Here we go!'

She stepped onto the bridge gingerly.

'BANG!'

Ellie jumped. Buzz laughed like a hyena.

'Gotcha! She's awful jumpy, isn't she?'

'If I fall, I'm blaming _you_ . . .' Ellie grumbled.

She shuffled up the formation with a sheepish trepidation. When she was at the highest point, a small chunk of rock tumbled into the lava below with a bubbling hiss. Ellie gulped and padded down the other side.

'Okay, I made it,' she said shakily.

'Good. Now grab a rock,' Kipper shouted.

'A _shiny_ rock,' Bucky added.

Ellie stepped into the cave. Using her raptor eyes, she scanned the tunnel. Finding nothing, she journeyed deeper into the cavern. As she leaned up against the blackened walls, Ellie's hands became smudged with a charcoal-like powder. She wiped them on her pants, leaving dark streaks across her legs. _That_ probably wouldn't wash out . . .

After a few minutes, Ellie was ready to give up. She didn't see any shiny stones lying around, and her feet were starting to look sooty. What did they even _mean_ by "shiny stones"? Was there some sort of marble or granite that she was looking for? Were the walls polished in places? What kind of rocks even _grew_ in volcanoes? Maybe she would find limestone or lapilli or . . . HOLY MOTHER OF DIAMONDS!

A plethora of rough diamonds lined the walls like a galaxy of gems. Ellie was no expert in geology (aside from fossils, of course), but she could say with absolute certainty that this cave was worth a _shit-gazillion_ dollars.

'You alright?' Kipper's voice echoed from the other side of the tunnel.

'YOU NEVER TOLD ME THERE WERE _DIAMONDS_!' Ellie shrilled.

'You never asked. And we _did _say "shiny stones" . . .'

Ellie rolled her eyes. These raptors were unbelievable . . .

After pulling a hunk of diamond from the wall, Ellie climbed out of the cave and trotted across the bridge. When she reached the pack, she held out the stone in the palm of her hand.

'There, you happy?' she grumbled.

They stared at her with disbelief.

'_Well_? Aren't you going to _take_ it?' she prompted.

'You only took_ one _. . .' Rocky marveled. Ellie threw her hands in the air.

'Oh, _come on_! That was _really_ dangerous. If you wanted _more_, you should have _asked_!'

'No, that's not what I meant. You _could _have taken more, but you didn't.'

Ellie sighed with exasperation.

'Look, you _asked _for one, and you're _getting_ one,' she said, dropping it into his paw unceremoniously, 'Can we _leave_ now?'

Rocky looked at the diamond. He placed it gently on the ground. When he was sure that Ellie was watching, he kicked the stone into the river of lava. It disappeared into the slag with a light "plink".

'So . . . all of this was for nothing?' Ellie grumbled monotonously.

'Are you mad?' Buzz asked cruelly. Ellie sighed.

'No, I guess not. Just don't make me do it again.'

'We won't,' Kipper gurgled.

'Come on, let's go home,' Buzz sighed, disappointed by her nonchalance.

They walked in single file towards the camp. Ellie trailed at the back of the group, occasionally dodging the branches that Bucky would let loose (unintentionally, though that didn't make it any better). When they arrived at the mouth of the cave, Ellie stopped.

'Wait . . . Why did you ask for more diamonds if you were just going to throw them in the lava anyway?' she asked with confusion.

'We didn't ask for more diamonds . . .' Rocky replied.

'Now, _that's_ just an outright _lie_,' Ellie hummed.

'We were just surprised that you didn't pocket a few, that's all . . .'

Ellie snorted.

'What good are diamonds to me? I'm probably going to die in three days . . .'

Rocky nodded.

'Probably.'

'Are you two coming?' Kipper whispered from above.

'Yeah, just a minute,' Rocky replied.

'Do raptors count time?' Ellie wondered.

'Not exactly. But speaking of time, you don't have much left . . .'

Ellie shrugged.

'Three days is plenty, given the circumstances.'

Rocky turned away. He seemed to be a little upset. Ellie walked over to him.

'You okay?'

'You're not like the scientists. We didn't expect you to be . . . Oh, I don't know . . . But this makes things a lot harder . . .'

Ellie wasn't sure that she understood him perfectly. He noticed her consternation.

'I don't want anything to happen to you. If this _plan_ of yours fails . . .'

'Oh, don't worry about _me_,' Ellie said with a smile, 'We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we need to focus on the positive.'

'But what if-'

Ellie shook her head.

'Whatever happens on the third day is solely dependent on the effort we put into this plan. We can't let ourselves be afraid. If we do, then I'll die for sure . . .'

Boy, that wasn't as encouraging when she said it out loud. Regardless, Rocky seemed to be satisfied.

'Okay. I believe you. I just hope you know what you're doing . . .'

Funnily enough, Ellie now knew _exactly_ what she was doing. The pieces of her plan were slowly falling into place, though the general scheme was a little rough around the edges. Even so, there was no doubt that she could pull it off.

With a little help, of course . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Tell me a story."

Alan groaned.

"It's late . . ."

They were curled up beneath a fluffy bush. Alan had _no_ idea why the raptor was still awake: he had been too tired to _stand _five minutes ago . . .

"Please . . ."

"I'm exhausted," Alan grumbled.

The raptor poked him. Then he poked him again. This marked the beginning of a bombardment of poking. It was not pleasant.

"Alan? _Alan_? Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan, Alan-"

"If I tell you a story, will you go to sleep?" Alan barked.

"YEAH!"

"Once upon a time, there was a little squirrel who lived in a tree-" he began.

"What's a squirrel?"

Alan sighed.

"Once upon a time, there was a little _compsognathus_ who lived in a tree-"

"Compsognathuses don't live in trees!"

Alan rubbed his brow.

"Look, maybe we should just go to bed . . ."

The raptor pouted. At least, he gave the impression of pouting.

"Fine, _fine_ . . . So, what should this story be about?" Alan grumbled with defeat.

The raptor thought for a minute.

"What about _you_? I'm sure _you_ have lots of interesting stories . . ."

"Well, I have this one . . ."

"Tell me!"

"Well, it starts like this . . ."


	17. The Puddle Story

_Alan had seen just about every inch of silt on planet Earth. He never really got sick of the badlands, but he had to admit that there was a certain same-ness about them. Once in a while, he'd be asked to visit somewhere beautiful like Argentina or Colorado, which was a welcomed change from the usual Montana lakebed. The sand in these locations seemed to have a red-orange tone, which was easy on the eyes. A splash of color was always nice, especially when so many landscapes up north were dismal and grey. Such gloominess was visually exhausting, not to mention yawn-inducing. The only thing worse than grey badlands was white sand. Alan had nearly fried his retinas in Utah (though, to be fair, he had forgotten to pack sunglasses for that trip). In any case, this particular dig site was dull as dishwater._

_He had been told that this part of the badlands was something of a tourist attraction. This was, in part, due to the general lack of things to do near Eureka, Montana. Even though this dig seemed to be failing, a couple of townsfolk had volunteered to serve as an audience while the paleontologists pursued their ever-failing efforts. It was embarrassing, yes, but not unbearable._

_In a way, Alan was glad that his team hadn't found anything valuable yet: the place was crawling with kids. Apparently, the spectators thought it was a brilliant idea to bring their children to a worksite with heavy equipment and sharp excavation tools. Alan didn't want to be liable if they injured themselves, not to mention the bad press that such an accident would receive. They were barely making enough money to cover their expenses, and funding could be pulled at any moment . . ._

_Alan's fears were realized when a huge crash came from a nearby tent. He raced over to examine the situation. The culprit, however, was not a child. _

_Two assistants barged out of the tent with frustration. One of them marched straight up to Alan and waggled his finger angrily._

"_I warned you, didn't I? She has NO experience in the field! If you want interns, there's plenty down at U of M . . ."_

_Alan sighed and pushed him away gently._

"_Look, just go easy on her, okay? I'm sure it's not THAT bad . . ."_

_Upon peeling back the front flap of the tent, Alan was confronted with a chaotic scene. His carefully-stacked tupperwares had all been knocked over, and the fragile contents were strewn across the floor like confetti. A heavy filing cabinet had fallen on a table, splitting it into two halves. Some large (and important) fossils had been crushed under the metal. In the center of this mess, a very apprehensive woman was trying desperately to sweep the fossils into their proper containers. When she saw Alan, she shrunk away a little and bit her lip._

"_Dr. Grant . . ."_

_Alan stepped forward and yanked a plastic bin out of her hands._

"_Care to explain, Dr. Sattler? . . ."_

***_TSJPFEW_***

_Just as Alan expected, the new intern was exhausted from sleep-deprivation. For the past few weeks, she had shown up to work with bags under her eyes, not to mention wild and tangled hair. She was often tardy, though she sometimes showed up after hours to make up for her ineptitude (though Alan suspected that she was actually just coming to work at the wrong time). He didn't know how to approach her about this. She had been through a lot, after all, and he lacked the savoir-faire required to confront the issue. Nevertheless, he invited her to his trailer for coffee. It was a start, anyway._

_When she arrived at his door, Dr. Sattler was a mess, as usual. Aside from looking like she had been caught in a tornado, her clothing was noticeably asymmetrical. She had one sleeve rolled up, while the other wasn't even buttoned; her shoes were tied with sloppy bows; her mismatched socks were inside out . . . Her appearance would have been comical, were it not for the tragedy of the situation._

"_Dr. Sattler . . . Care to take a seat?"_

_She lowered herself onto a stool shakily. _

"_Now, I'm sure-"_

"_I'm sorry about the bins!" she blurted, "It won't happen again: I promise. I was just a little tired . . ."_

_A little? It took more than mild drowsiness to topple ten tupperwares._

"_I know you're tired. That's why you need to sleep," Alan said softly._

_Sattler shifted uncomfortably._

"_I . . . I try-"_

"_Look, I know that the incident with the pigfern-"_

"_Hogweed."_

"_I know that the incident with the hogweed was a traumatic experience, but I can't let you endanger my staff-"_

_She stood up, nearly knocking her coffee off the table._

"_Please, just give me one more chance. I won't screw up, not this time . . ."_

_She looked as though she might cry._

"_Please . . ."she whispered._

_Alan sighed._

"_Okay, but you need to promise me that you'll get some sleep."_

_She nodded furiously._

"_Yes, yes, I promise . . ."_

"_Good. And stay away from the acids baths for now . . ."_

***_TSJPFEW_***

_Dr. Sattler kept her promise, though the circumstances were quite different from what Alan had been expecting. She developed a kind of narcolepsy in the weeks that followed, often dozing off while she was digging on the ground or sitting at a table. During her naps, Alan instructed everyone to keep their distance. If this was what it took to get her to rest, then he was in no position to argue._

_The only problem with this system arose when someone got the brilliant idea to play pranks while Sattler was asleep. It started off with the usual post-it-notes-on-the-face gag, but escalated quickly when someone discovered that she had a deep-rooted fear of starfish. Alan would often be stirred from his work when he heard a panicked scream, followed by a surge of cussing. He learned to ignore these outbursts, though he wondered where everyone was getting so many goddamn starfish. _

_Unfortunately, these pranks became so frequent that Dr. Sattler would refuse to fall asleep, eventually lapsing back into her lethargic clumsiness. She was unable to cause much ruckus, however, for the staff had learned to hang dried starfish from their tents to prevent her from entering. These makeshift forcefields repelled her like a string of garlic might repel vampires, hindering her already faltering efforts to get any work done. Like a lonely phantom, she haunted the site all day, drifting around the perimeter without direction._

_One morning, after a particularly long sleepover at the site, a chorus of shrieks and screams resonated through the hills. Someone had placed no less than twenty rubber rattlesnakes in each and every tent, tying them to desk drawers and other mobile furniture with fishing line. This created the illusion of an attack when the traps were set in motion, resulting in mass hysteria and widespread panic (two people even lost consciousness, fainting dramatically on the sand)._

_When the trick was unveiled, everyone immediately suspected that Dr. Sattler was to blame. It didn't add up, though, as the starfish were mysteriously absent from each tent. She couldn't have taken them down herself, and no one would have assisted her in such a short period of time. Stranger still, the paleontologists found that they had been banned from the local chinese medicine store for unspecified reasons, preventing them from purchasing any more starfish. It was all very suspicious . . ._

_When Sattler arrived to work that day (late, as usual), she seemed just as surprised as everyone else. Even so, she didn't let the occasional glare dampen her spirits. As long as the camp was starfish-free, she had nothing to complain about._

***_TSJPFEW_***

_After the snake caper, the paleontologists eased up on their pranks. Once in a while, however, they would take advantage of Sattler's sleeping spells by balancing excavation tools on her head. She would sometimes wake up with dentist picks or toothbrushes tied to her hair. Alan saw these pranks as harmless at first, until he noticed that some of these knots required cutting, leaving Dr. Sattler with erratic locks and random snips of hair missing. He therefore took preventative measures to ensure that it wouldn't happen again._

_One day, when he saw three pranksters approach her at a picnic table, he sat down next to her sleeping form so as to frighten them off. Not wanting to be caught by their boss, they fled like a cluster of agitated crabs. At this point, the issue was resolved, but Alan felt it necessary to remain seated as a precaution. _

_Seeing that Dr. Sattler was sleeping with half of her face exposed, Alan placed his hat over her head to shield her from the sun. Occasionally, she would mumble something under her breath. Alan suspected that she was having nightmares. Not knowing what to do, he put his hand on her arm awkwardly. _

_This seemed to shut her up just fine._

***_TSJPFEW_***

_Eventually, the signs of fatigue began to fade from Sattler's visage. She seemed bright, cheerful, and full of energy. Oddly enough, she still fell asleep at the picnic table every day, forcing Alan to take up his regular post (as a precaution, of course). He would usually leave as soon as she showed the first signs of waking up, but for some inexplicable reason, her naps were getting longer and longer. She certainly didn't LOOK like she needed more rest; she had lost the darkness under her eyes a while back, in fact, her skin was very healthy-looking. From the gentle ridge of her nose to the bright contours of her cheeks, there was hardly anything to be criticized in her countenance. Her hair was looking better, too. _

_As Alan examined her coif, he realized that he had probably been staring at her for an alarming amount of time. He stood up quickly and headed over to his trailer without looking back._

***_TSJPFEW_*** 

_During all of this, the team hadn't come up with a single find. It was starting to look bad, and their audience was shrinking every day. Alan was inclined to believe that this area was just a dud, yet the trip hadn't been a complete waste of time. Because Sattler had dumped out all of his specimens, Alan was able to rediscover some interesting fossils. He laid them out inside a tent and began to rearrange them one by one. It was tedious work, but not without intrigue. Still, it was hard to figure out exactly which bones went with which animal._

_In a mysterious twist of fate, Alan awoke one day to find each and every one of his skeletons assembled. Someone had been "cobbling shoes" in the night, and he hadn't the faintest idea which elf was responsible for this surprise. He asked around, but nobody had witnessed the assembly. Finally, Alan decided to ask Dr. Sattler for her opinion. He found her eating lunch at their usual picnic table. This was the first time he had seen her awake in this area._

"_Dr. Sattler, do you know who organized my fossils?" he asked. She set down her thermos nervously. Alan could have sworn that he saw her hand shaking._

"_Why? Were they wrong?" she stuttered._

"_No, no. They were perfect. I just wish I knew who was responsible."_

_She sipped her tea nonchalantly._

"_Well, I don't know anything about it . . ."_

"_It's the darnedest thing . . . I don't understand who could have arranged them so meticulously. After all, compsognathus fossils are finicky . . ."_

"_Maybe the felon is just good at puzzles," Sattler said with a shrug. Alan nodded._

"_Well, if you hear anything, tell me. I'll be in my trailer."_

"_All day?" _

_Alan ran his fingers through his hair._

"_Probably. I've been a little bit busy lately . . ."_

_She smiled._

"_Well, thanks for coming back, anyway."_

"_Don't mention it."_

_It wasn't until later that he began to grasp the discontinuity of her statement._

***_TSJPFEW_***

"_Dr. Grant! Dr. Grant!"_

_For once, Alan was the one who had fallen asleep on the job. His desk light was still on, even though it was now late in the day. He stretched out his back to nullify the effects of his awkward sleeping position. _

"_Dr. Grant!"_

_A furious banging rattled his trailer door. When he opened it, Alan saw Sattler hopping from foot to foot. She continued to make knocking gestures for a few seconds after the door had been opened, but composed herself shortly after._

"_Dr. Grant! I found something!"_

_Alan gestured for her to calm down._

"_Alright, alright. What is it?"_

"_You have to come and SEE!" she trilled brightly. Alan rubbed his forehead._

"_Yeah, okay, just let me- WOAH!"_

_She grabbed his hand and dragged him across camp, nearly ripping his arm out of its socket. He trailed behind her in this manner until they reached a dried-up riverbed. Ellie pointed to a collection of brown bumps in the sand._

"_Oh my god . . ." Alan whispered, "Do you realize what this IS?"_

_She placed her hands on her hips and frowned._

"_Why do you think I brought you here?"_

_Alan just stood with his mouth agape._

"_. . . Dr. Grant? . . ."_

_Without warning, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight bear-hug. She tensed up a little, but returned the gesture._

"_Ellie Sattler, you are amazing . . ."_

***_TSJPFEW_***

_Every paleontologist agreed that this was the find of a century. Not only had they found four nearly complete raptor skeletons, but they had also found fossilized tracks around a dismembered tenontosaurus carcass, proving Alan's pack-hunting theory. _

_The next few weeks were hectic. With a newly established audience, everyone seemed eager to receive the celebrity status. Better yet, the group was warming up to Ellie, and she to them. With her days of immeasurable fatigue long behind her, she was working harder than ever, and twice so whenever Alan was around. She didn't give the impression that she was trying to impress him, per se, but there was definitely an ulterior motive behind her unusual behavior._

_One day, when the two of them were painting the exposed fossils with rubber cement, she began to gravitate towards him until her face was almost pressed up against his. Was she doing that on purpose? Maybe she was just cold . . ._

"_Four complete skeletons . . . Such a small area . . . The same time horizon . . ." Alan mumbled._

"_They died together?" Ellie asked._

"_The taphonomy sure looks that way," Alan replied._

"_If they died together, they lived together . . . Suggests some kind of social order . . ." she hypothesized._

"_They hunted as a team. They dismembered that tenontosaurus bone over there- that's lunch- but what killed our raptors in a lakebed, and in a bunch like this? We better come up with something that makes sense."_

"_A drought. The lake was shrinking . . ." Ellie began._

"_That's good. That's right!" Alan said excitedly, "They died around a dried-up puddle, without fighting each other! This is looking good . . ."_

_She bit her lip._

"_I don't know, Alan. This seems awfully counter-intuitive. Weren't they supposed to be ruthless killing machines?"_

_Alan shook his head._

"_Does eating a hamburger make you a murderer?"_

"_Why don't you ask Jim? He's a vegetarian . . ."_

"_Ethics aside, these raptors were not just monsters; they had complex social interactions, pecking orders . . ."_

"_Pecking? Careful, you'll lapse back into your bird theory."_

_Alan scoffed._

"_It's a valid possibility . . ."_

"_I know. I believe you. But THEY don't," she said, pointing to the other paleontologists._

"_They didn't believe me when I said that raptors were highly intelligent, either."_

"_It does sound strange, though," Ellie marveled, "I mean, who would believe that dinosaurs were emotional?"_

"_Well, when you say it like THAT . . ."_

"_How else would you say it?"_

"_Well, they experienced certain hormonal responses during social interactions."_

"_Okay, now you're just making them sound like teenagers."_

_Alan laughed._

"_Nice. But the concepts are basically the same. They could feel joy, sorrow, anger . . ."_

"_And? . . ."_

"_Fear."_

"_And? . . ."_

"_Surprise."_

"_And? . . ." _

"_. . . Repulsion."_

"_And? . . ."_

"_Hunger?"_

_She leaned closer._

"_And? . . ."_

"_It feels like you're trying to get me to say something . . ."_

_She stood up unceremoniously. _

"_I guess I'd better head home. It's getting late."_

"_What, now? But we're in the middle of a spectacular event! We could be unearthing one of the greatest finds of the twentieth century!"_

_She shrugged._

"_You seem to be doing just fine without me . . ."_

"_But I need- I mean, I don't- What I meant to say is-"_

"_Goodbye, Alan . . ." _

_Alan sighed._

"_Goodbye . . ."_

_Still lying on his stomach, Alan watched her leave. He continued to paint the exposed skeleton, but his mind was elsewhere. One of his workers approached him timidly._

"_Are you feeling okay, Dr. Grant? . . ." he inquired._

"_Mmmhm . . ." Alan hummed as his eyes followed her car away from the site._

"_. . . because you're painting your arm with rubber cement . . ."_

_Alan looked down. Sure enough, his wrist was shining with an unnatural luster._

"_Indeed, I am."_

"_Would you like me to get you a rag, or . . ."_

"_No, I'll get it myself . . ."_

"_But you have to speak with the press in two minutes . . ."_

_Ellie's car was headed for the loop along the highway. If he left now, he could- Oh, what was he thinking? This wasn't urgent. He'd see her tomorrow . . ._

"_Dr. Grant?"_

_There was no hurry . . ._

"_Dr. Grant? . . ."_

_This could wait . . ._

***_TSJPFEW_***

_Alan just barely made it down the hill as Ellie turned the corner. When she saw him, she pulled to the side of the road and turned on her emergency lights. Alan bent over to catch his breath._

"_Dr. Grant? Is something wrong?" she asked as she ran over._

"_No- Not exactly-" Alan huffed._

"_Is there some sort of emergency? . . ." _

"_No, nothing like that . . ."_

"_Do you need me for something? . . ." _

"_No. Well, yes. Kind of . . ."_

"_Kind of? What do you mean? What's going on?"_

"_Nothing . . ."_

_She frowned._

"_Then why'd you run down the hill like that? You almost gave me a heart attack . . ."_

"_It's- Well, it's like this . . ."_

_He trailed off, not knowing what to say. They stared at each other for a solid half-minute._

"_Well? . . ." Ellie prompted._

"_Uh . . . Well . . ." he stuttered, "I think it would be best if we went back to the dig site. Together."_

_Ellie rubbed the back of her neck._

"_I don't know . . . I don't want to drive home in the dark."_

"_Well- Well, you could stay overnight."_

"_I-"_

"_I know, you probably want to head back into town . . ."_

"_Yes, I-"_

"_But what if I were to head back into town as well? With you."_

"_I'd-"_

"_I guess that's a bad idea. It's late . . ."_

"_Are you going to let me speak?" Ellie snapped._

"_Okay . . ." Alan gulped._

"_If you're asking what I think you're asking, then the answer is yes. But only if you can explain to me- without beating around the bush- what it is you're trying to say."_

_Alan flinched. To do such a thing was impossible! He couldn't just SAY it. But she had already said "yes", hadn't she? This was all very confusing . . ._

_Alan cleared his throat._

"_Ellie, we've known each other for a long t-"_

"_Skip the speech, just tell me what you want," she asserted._

"_I want us to be a couple."_

"_Me too. Was that so hard?" Ellie laughed._

"_Yes? . . ." Alan squeaked._

"_Oh, c'mere, you."_

_They hugged in the middle of the road, with the car's lights flashing red in the shadow of the almost-night. _

"_Thank you for coming back," Ellie whispered._

"_No problem. But we should probably get off the road."_

_They attempted to split apart, but Alan found that he had trouble removing his arm from Ellie's side._

"_Shit . . . I accidentally painted myself with rubber cement."_

"_How-"_

"_Don't ask."_

"_Fine, fine. I just hope you weren't using the strong stuff."_

"_Uh . . ."_

_Ellie grimaced._

"_Well, we won't be stuck together for TOO long, right? . . ."_

***_TSJPFEW_***

_Two hours later, they were finally admitted into the ER building for examination. The doctors and nurses had to fiddle around with various chemicals before pulling them apart. Alan had a very difficult time explaining their situation. Fortunately, the doctors had more important problems to deal with, and they were released without further questioning._

"_Crazy night, huh?" Ellie remarked as they walked through the parking lot._

"_You can say that again!" Alan laughed, putting his arm around her shoulders. Ellie gasped._

"_Oh, Alan! You'll have missed your interview by now!"_

"_It's fine. I sent Jim to speak with the press."_

"_Are you sure that that was a good idea?"_

"_Yeah. There's no possible way he could make a discovery like this look bad."_

The next day, many major papers had sent out an article with the headline: "After Years of Research, Man Discovers Puddle".

***_TSJPFEW_***

"And they _published_ it?" the raptor gaped.

"Eeyup."

"That's crazy!"

"We thought so too. Especially since it was_ Ellie_ who discovered it in the first place."

"She must have been really nice."

Alan nodded.

"I wish I could have met her."

Alan sighed.

"Go to bed, squeaker."

"Okay. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."


	18. Tooth Fairy

For once, Ellie was not the first to wake up in the morning. The raptors were all early birds, no pun intended. Even after the events of the night before, nobody felt groggy or tired. If anything, they were very pleasant towards Ellie. Crusher, Lance, and the scarred raptor noticed this, though they never asked why they were suddenly so chummy.

After a hearty breakfast (mangoes and parasaurolophus [respectively]), they set off on a southbound journey.

'So tell me, how exactly did you _meet_ these friends of yours?' the scarred raptor asked.

'Well, I got lost . . .'

'What she's _really_ asking is why they didn't kill you on the spot!' Bucky laughed. The scarred raptor snapped at him.

'Ow! Stop it!'

'It's a long story,' Ellie said dismissively.

'Well, I know herrerasaurs, and they aren't exactly a friendly bunch,' Buzz hissed.

'Says the guy who pushed me into an electric fence . . .' Ellie muttered.

'Yeah, BUZZ . . .' Rocky giggled.

'Stop _calling_ me that! See what you've done?' Buzz growled, bumping Ellie angrily with his side.

'He's just jealous. Not everyone can be named after professional cyclists,' Lance boasted. Ellie laughed.

'Well, I didn't really have that in mind . . . Wait, how do you-'

'We picked up a couple of magazines from an abandoned trailer,' Crusher explained.

'You can _read_? Why am I not surprised . . .'

'Quiet, all of you! We're almost there,' the scarred raptor hissed.

A massive cascade of vines loomed in front of them. Like some kind of crazy modern sculpture, the structure dipped and twirled in pretzel-shapes, looking a whole lot like a roller-coaster that had been covered with vegetation. Probably because it _was_ a roller-coaster that had been covered with vegetation.

'Morton! Penelope! You there?' Ellie shouted. They slithered through the vines and ran up to greet her.

'Ellie! We thought you left the island! Why are you- WHO INVITED THE RAPTORS?!' Morton yapped.

'It's alright: they're with me,' Ellie reassured him, 'I'll explain everything in a second, but I need all of the herrerasaurs to gather first.'

Morton and Penelope exchanged a look.

'Alright . . . But if your raptors try anything funny . . .'

'We're not _her_ ra- mph!'

Ellie grabbed Lance's snout to shut him up.

'They won't attack you. I promise.'

Morton nodded and walked up to the structure.

'Herrerasaurs, assemble!'

A dozen red faces poked out of the vines.

'As your king, I command you to listen to Ellie Sattler.'

'King?' a herrerasaur piped up, 'Since when?'

'I thought we were an autonomous collective? . . .' another herrerasaur wondered.

'Shut up! I'm king!' Morton barked.

'Is that why you get to sleep in the cart?'

'That is irrelevant!' Morton growled.

'Tyranny!'

'We're being oppressed!'

'This is against our civil rights!'

Ellie whistled with two fingers.

'Listen, all of you! We are on the verge of war!' she shouted. The herrerasaurs whispered to each other fretfully. At least she had their attention . . .

'The humans have been taking your children, killing your brethren, and destroying your home. We need to stop them.'

'Yeah, let's rip 'em apart!' Crusher growled.

'No! No, that is definitely NOT what we want to do,' Ellie asserted, 'This mission does not require brute force. If we continue to pillage and rampage, they'll just pick us off one by one . . .'

'So, what do we do?' Penelope asked.

'We need to work together. I know the theropods don't always see eye-to-eye, but if this plan is to succeed, we need to forget our petty grudges for the next three days. Yes, we are different, but that's why we're gonna _win_ this thing!'

'What do you mean?' Morton asked, 'How can we be united if we aren't even the same species?'

Ellie felt like she was in a war movie.

'Because we can use our differences to our advantage. They won't be expecting us to use our brains. We have the element of surprise.'

'This sounds dangerous . . .' Penelope mumbled shyly.

'Yes. It will be _very_ dangerous. But if we don't stand together, we'll die alone. They may take our lives, but they'll never take _our freedom_!'

To Ellie's surprise, her plagiarized speech actually resonated with the herrerasaurs. They roared in support, descending from their stronghold to enroll in the theropod army.

'I'll bring them back to the camp,' Rocky volunteered. Ellie raised her eyebrow.

'Your mother-'

'Don't worry about her. We'll explain everything,' Buzz interjected. Ellie nodded.

'Okay. Morton, Penelope, I'll need you to stay with me. If the other dinosaurs see that we've joined forces, maybe they'll be willing to help.'

'Other dinosaurs? . . .' Kipper echoed.

Ellie smiled coyly.

'Of course. Did you think I was going to stop at the herrerasaurs?'

'This sounds like trouble . . .' Crusher grumbled.

'You don't have to be a part of this . . .' Ellie said gently.

'I'll do whatever our leader commands,' Crusher said brashly.

They turned to the scarred raptor. At first, she seemed surprised. She had obviously interpreted his use of the word "leader" to be synonymous with "chieftain".

Ellie held her breath. The scarred raptor stepped forward.

'Who's next?'

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Wake up, Alan! Wake up!"

The raptor bounced up and down on Alan's side, nipping impatiently at his collar.

"Urrrrrrrrrgh . . ."

"WAKE UP!"

Alan snorted and turned over. The raptor pattered across his belly like a logroller.

"Come_ on_, we need to get moving! There's a whole island to explore!"

"In a minute . . ."

"_Now_!"

"I need to rest . . ."

The raptor tugged on his sleeve. When Alan didn't move, he started to drag him across the ground with his teeth.

"Crrrm errrn! Wrrr nrrrd trrr grrr . . ."

"Fine. You win. I'm up."

Alan propped himself up on his elbow. He wasn't used to sleeping on the ground, and his back felt like someone had decided to whack him with a spanner. He stretched out his arms and yawned.

"Boy, you don't have very sharp teeth, do you?" the raptor remarked.

Alan chuckled.

"Humans aren't exactly built for predation."

"Do you lose your teeth like raptors do?"

"Yeah, we have baby teeth. But you probably have more than a single layer. The tooth fairy would have a _hell_ of a time with you . . ."

"Tooth fairy?" the raptor echoed.

"She takes teeth from under your pi- Well, she takes your teeth, anyway," Alan mumbled, "And she gives you money."

"Is that_ all_? Why would somebody pay for a _tooth_?" the raptor wondered.

"People buy raptor teeth all the time. Well, not fresh ones, but-"

"What does she do with the teeth?"

"She collects them."

"Oh," the raptor hummed disappointedly.

". . . And uses them to build weapons of mass destruction!" Alan finished. The raptor smiled and wagged his tail.

"Cool! Do you think she has _my_ teeth?"

"Undoubtedly," Alan asserted.

"Wait . . . If people buy raptor teeth, then she can't have _all _of them . . ."

He was a clever kid, this one.

"Those are the discarded teeth she shoots out of her molar-cannon. They land on the earth like falling stars . . ."

"Okay, now you're just making things up!" the raptor said dubiously.

"Absolutely _not_! I was injured by one of her tooth-bullets once."

"No way!"

"_Yes_, way. I even have the scar to prove it!"

Alan showed him a small white line on his wrist.

"Wow. You must have made her REALLY angry."

"Indeed, I did. I stole her magic watch."

"Magic watch?"

Alan nodded.

"It was attached to her cavity-bomb, but I defused it before she was able to take over the world . . ."

"That's _amazing_! How did you do it?"

Oh, this was going to be a _long _story, wasn't it? . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

The scarred raptor watched as Ellie ran through the field. After convincing a gang of compys and a couple of bambies to join them, they had reached a roadblock. Whereas compsognathus and bambiraptors were feeble-minded in a good way, gallimimus were just plain stupid. Like a flock of seagulls, they pattered across the plains in a tight formation, losing Ellie at every turn. She had decided to morph into a galli herself, but she lacked the hive-mentality required to follow them.

'If you'll just listen for a sec- Okay, I guess we're going _this _way, then. So, as I was saying, I have- Alright, left is good too . . .'

The raptor whom Ellie had dubbed Crusher (who also happened to be one of the scarred raptor's sons) watched her swivel and spin.

'Tenacious, isn't she?'

The scarred raptor said nothing. Her other son (dubbed Lance) approached them from the side.

'What are we going to do if she fails?' he asked worriedly.

'We'll have to wait and see . . .' she replied, turning away from the thunderous flock.

'Mother, I saw the others sneak her out of the cave last night . . .' he blurted.

'Yes, they took her to the volcano.'

'So you _knew_?' he shrilled.

'Of course I knew! What do you take me for?' she hissed.

'Why did you let them leave?'

Obviously, Lance was jealous that he hadn't been included in their escapade.

'It's good for morale. They trust her now.'

'But what if she fails?'

Suddenly, a loud shriek came from the front of the flock.

'Listen up, bird-brains!' Ellie growled, 'I am _sick_ and_ tired_ of your passive-aggressive bullshit! You're just a bunch of flocking idiots!'

'She talking to us?' a gallimimus croaked.

'_Yes_, I am talking to you!' she snapped, 'It is _your_ responsibility to join us and fight against InGen!'

'We run. Much safer,' the galli babbled.

'No, you do NOT run! You fight! No matter how fast you flee, your problems will always catch up with you in the end . . .'

'No understand. Running always works. If we fight, we die.'

'How much do you want to bet that she'll quote Braveheart again?' Lance asked.

'Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live . . . at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just _one chance_, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take . . . _OUR FREEDOM_!'

'I don't think she knows that we've read the monologue . . .' Lance sighed.

'Whatever works . . .' Crusher grumbled.

'Maybe the bambies will tell her . . .'

'Quiet, you two. Let her work,' the scarred raptor said calmly.

'Mother, she's going to get us _killed_,' Lance objected.

'No. She won't.'

'And _why not_?' he spat.

'Because she is not _like_ the others. She has more raptor in her than any human I've ever seen . . .'

'That's _impossible_! This whole _mission_ is impossible!' Lance huffed with frustration.

'It's only impossible if you believe it's impossible.'

'How long did it take you to come up with THAT brilliant logic?' he snapped.

Ellie trotted happily over to them and demorphed.

'See? I_ told_ you they'd listen!'

'You got lucky. That's all,' Lance snarled.

'Congratulations!' Morton barked from where he was seated.

'Yeah, congratulations!' Penelope repeated, 'And there's more good news: while you were away, we brought you lunch!'

'Aw, thanks! That's really nice of-'

He dropped a dead snake at her feet. She squeaked.

'Oh . . . That looks very, um, scaly . . . Thank you.'

'Don't mention it!'

They looked at her expectantly. She slowly picked up the snake and dangled it in front of her mouth. It was time to intervene.

'No time for lunch, Sattler!' the scarred raptor said, snatching the snake away, 'We don't want to get behind schedule.'

They sent Bucky and Kipper (it was odd to finally have something to call them) back to the camp with the gallies. Three randomly-selected gallimimus joined the herd, which now consisted of three velociraptors (Otto had taken the compys and bambies back to the valley), two herrerasaurus, five compsognathus, a bambiraptor, and a very crazy woman. It was the strangest pack imaginable, unlike anything the theropods had ever seen. With any luck, the scientists would be just as surprised.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"And finally, I was able to take down her legion of incisors with the magical floss-whip of Pepsodent," Alan said grandly as the raptor gaped in admiration.

The two of them had decided to traverse the plains by climbing a large bluff. It gave them a good view of the landscape and, by extension, anything that might try to eat them.

"Wow, you're really brave!" the raptor gushed.

"Not really. I just know how to defend myself," Alan replied nonchalantly.

"Can you teach me?"

Alan raised his eyebrow.

"What do you need ME for? You're a raptor."

"The worst raptor . . ." he mumbled sadly.

"Oh, don't say that . . ." Alan said gently, crouching down so that they were the same height, "You're just learning. I'll bet that when you grow up, you'll be the greatest raptor since the Cretaceous Period."

"Tell that to my brothers. They think I'm a runt. I guess they're kinda right . . ."

Alan sighed.

"You're not a runt . . ."

"I am."

Alan stood up.

"Have you ever heard of Wilbur?"

"Wilbur?"

"The pig from Charlotte's Web. I guess you don't read books . . ."

"I read a little."

Alan raised his eyebrows.

"That's impressive. Well, I'll have to lend it to you sometime. It was Ellie's favorite book when she was little. She even-"

Alan broke off. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to tell the raptor _everything ._ . .

"She _what_?"

Alan shook his head.

"Nothing."

The raptor hopped onto his shoulders.

"Tell me. Please."

Alan sighed and rubbed his brow. He may as well tell him, now that he had painted himself into a corner.

"Well, we agreed that if we were to ever have a daughter, she'd be named Charlotte."

"What if you had a son instead?"

"Oh, I don't know. What's the male equivalent? . . . Charles? . . . Charlie?"

The raptor considered this, rubbing his chin with a claw.

"Hm . . . Charlie . . . Charlie . . . I like the sound of that. Can I use it?"

"For what?" Alan asked.

"For myself."

"As your name? . . ." he wondered.

"Yeah."

It was strange; Alan had assumed that the implied lack of naming among raptors was due to some innate dislike for the entire concept. Interesting . . .

"Sure, why not?" Alan said brightly, "I think it suits you just fine."

"Really?"

Suddenly, a loud squawking came from below. A gallimimus was causing quite a commotion in the grassy field, much to the confusion of its flock.

"What's he saying?" Alan asked idly. Charlie cocked his head and listened closely.

"It's hard to tell: galli dialect is pretty foreign. It's not a male voice, though, I can tell you that much . . ."

Suddenly, the entire flock erupted into a grating symphony of squeals. Alan cringed.

"Their voices aren't exactly angelic, are they?"

Charlie laughed.

"No, it's more like _indigestion_!"

After a moment of contemplation, Alan turned.

"Well, whatever it is, it doesn't concern us. Let's keep moving."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Henry Wu sat quietly at his desk. He had been feeling very contemplative as of late, and he was in dire need of absolute silence. He picked up his scepter and ran his fingers along the ridge of the fossilized claw. With Malcolm out of the way, there was no one left to oppose him. Still, he was troubled by the absence of Sattler's body. His team had searched the entire coastline, and there was _still _no sign of her. Regardless, if she had somehow survived, there was little to no chance that she'd make it out of The North in one piece. Still, better safe than sorry . . .

Turning to the window behind him, Wu stared down at the workers in the massive, round, glowing chamber. They were clustered around the crescent-shaped portion of The Machine, fiddling with all sorts of buttons and knobs. In its current state, the device wasn't properly calibrated. If he intended to use it within the next week, everything needed to be perfect.

"Dr. Wu!"

A mechanic burst through the door. Wu's first thought was that something had gone wrong with the repairs. He stood up and listened to the frazzled employee.

"The infant has escaped its confinement!"

"Impossible! He was tethered!" Wu hissed.

"He must have broken his collar."

"But how-"

Grant. Of course.

Wu growled. If his technicians had used the manganese-titanium guillotine like the alternate InGen, this would have _never_ happened. They had peeked through dimensional windows for a _reason_ . . .

"Sir? What are we to do?"

Wu's fist tightened around the metal staff.

"Find the child. Bring him back. Alive. If anyone gets in your way, _kill them_."


	19. Venom

There was a time, many years ago, when Ellie would have given _anything_ to see a live dilophosaurus. Now, thinking back to the original tour, she was glad that she hadn't been in range of their venom.

The pack hadn't seen a single dilophosaur yet, but they were definitely in the right territory. Gobs of putrid slime dripped down from branches and ferns, splattering messily onto the ground in large plops. The group avoided these grey land-mines, as physical contact would almost certainly be fatal.

Well, except for Ellie.

Although she had been inoculated, the smell alone was enough to drive her away from the toxic goo. The aroma was reminiscent of skunk, gasoline, formaldehyde, play-doh, sewage, blood, and acid. If this was how bad it smelled to _her_, Ellie couldn't imagine how the raptors were holding up. She didn't have to wonder for long, however . . .

'Urk! This stuff is _rotten_!' Lance choked.

'You said it . . .' Morton gagged.

'You'd better roll around in it for a bit, Morty,' Penelope laughed, 'It'd be an improvement . . .'

'Quiet, you!'

Ellie wasn't paying attention to their antics. This part of the forest was kind of eerie . . .

'Wait here. I'm going to check this place out,' she ordered. The raptors nodded and sat down on a log.

Ellie pushed a flowery plant (lobsterclaw) aside and stepped carefully around the sticky puddles. She held her breath as she tiptoed forward, trudging through the jungle like an old-timey explorer. All she needed was a safari hat. And a map. And a mustache.

The pack was out of sight now, and it was hard to hear their anxious whispering. Where were all the dilos? Maybe they weren't home . . .

'EEEEEE-woo-woo-woo!'

Ellie froze. The hooting was coming from behind her. She turned around slowly. A short dinosaur with two crests on its head was standing innocently in the clearing.

'Hello, there . . .' she said pleasantly.

The dinosaur cocked its head. Maybe she should try a different dialect. Ellie focused on a compsognathid tone.

'Where did you come from?'

The dilophosaurus continued to stare at her. Gallimimus dialect might work . . .

'I'm here to contact your pack. Are they around? . . .'

He hooted playfully and sat down. Ellie copied his gesture, hoping to connect with him somehow. When she was seated, he stood up. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to adopt a submissive posture . . .

'RRRAAAHHH!'

The dilophosaur's neck blossomed into a bright orange frill. Ellie jumped back.

_HORK-SPLAT!_

A pile of goo landed at her feet. This was bad. _Very_ bad.

Before he could reload, Ellie grabbed a rock and threw it at his face. It hit him right between his crests. He squealed and ran into the bushes.

'Yeah, that's right: you'd _better _run!'

Suddenly, a glob of saliva dripped onto Ellie's shoulder. She rubbed it between her fingers. It was definitely from a dilo, but where-

'RRRAAAHHH!'

Ellie looked up and screamed.

***_TSJPFEW_***

'I know everyone LIKES meat, but I'm just saying, it goes a little deeper for me . . .' Morton philosophized.

The scarred raptor snuffed with irritation. If she had to spend one more minute listening to these imbeciles, she would claw her eyeballs out of their sockets.

'Maybe we'd better go after her . . .' Crusher suggested.

'No, we must wait,' the scarred raptor said, holding him back, 'It is not safe.'

Lance snorted.

'Pheh! She's probably trying to escape. She thinks she's too good for us . . .'

'Shut up, Lance!' Crusher hissed, 'One more word, and I'll tear out your gizzard!'

'Shush!' the scarred raptor whispered, 'You're _both_ getting on my nerves!'

'Yeah, you two's don't know what you's talking about!' Morton added, 'Ellie wouldn't _leave _us!'

'Stay out of this!' Lance hissed.

'Ey, you mess with Ellie, you mess with us!' Morton barked.

'Fine talk, coming from an overgrown strawberry!' Lance snarled.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream came from the jungle. Shortly after, Ellie burst out of the foliage and ran past them.

'THEY'RE IN THE TREES! THEY'RE IN THE TREES! RUN, RUN, RUN!'

A shower of grey globs rained down from the sky. Lance whimpered. Heeding her advice, the pack darted away in fear.

'Now, see what you've done? We're _dead_!' Lance shrieked.

Ellie morphed into a herrerasaurus to gain momentum.

'It's not my fault! He _spat _at me!'

The gallies, obviously not used to running in small groups, squealed with confusion. The scarred raptor pushed them forward one by one. Soon, they were being pursued by an army of shivering chrysanthemums. The dilos unveiled their frills in canon, spitting all the while.

The group came to a tattered rope bridge. They bounded across in single file, teetering as the structure swayed beneath them. When they were all across, Ellie chomped down on each support, letting the bridge crash down into the precipice below. The dilos screeched to a halt on the other side, nearly falling over the edge.

'Haha! Take _that_, you snotty skunks!' Lance taunted.

The head dilo stepped backwards. Instead of leaving, however, he took a running jump at the canyon. As he fell, he sprouted bat-like frills along his arms and legs, causing him to glide through the air with ease. Soon, the others followed his lead.

'Eep.'

The group fled once more. When they were a dozen yards away from the canyon, the scarred raptor noticed that Ellie hadn't moved an inch.

'Ellie, run!'

She didn't budge.

'I'm immune to their venom. Get the others to safety.'

'Are you _crazy_?! You'll die!'

'I have a better chance than you. Now, go!'

Reluctantly, the scarred raptor turned and pushed the others deeper into the jungle. They piled under a rocky overhang to hide. When they were all settled, the compys and the single bambi dismounted the gallies, who had been carrying them on their backs. Penelope looked from left to right worriedly.

'Where's Ellie?' he whispered.

'She . . . She stayed behind to distract them,' the scared raptor said sadly.

'WHAT?! We have to save her!' he shrieked.

'No, it's too late!' Morton whimpered, 'Listen . . .'

The group cocked their heads to hear better. The pattering of dilo feet was dissipating.

_HORK-SPLAT!_

The noise was repulsive. No one _dared_ think of the implications.

_HORK-SPLAT, HORK-SPLAT!_

The dilos hooted with confusion. They must be wondering why Ellie wasn't dying . . .

'Heehee . . . Heeheehee . . .'

For some reason, Ellie was starting to laugh giddily. She giggled and snorted.

It didn't _sound _like she was being eaten . . .

'What's going on?' Crusher whispered.

'I'm gonna go check it out . . .' Lance said quickly.

'Get back here!' the scarred raptor hissed.

Too late. He was already over the hill.

'Hey guys, come see this!'

The gang peeked out gradually and joined him where he stood. The dilos were standing in a circle around Ellie, who was giggling stupidly. She rolled around in the grey spit-puddle, gurgling and laughing. She waved her arms back and forth in the sludge.

'Heh. I'm making a mud-angel!'

'I think something's wrong with her . . .' Lance said redundantly.

The dilos watched Ellie's breakdown with a deep fascination. One particularly bold individual prodded her with his snout.

'Ooh! You look just like a FLOWER!' she slurred, 'C'mere, you big carnation!'

She waggled her arms in the air in an attempt to grab him, but let them flop to her side woozily.

'What in _carnation _. . .'

She laughed at her own joke with a disjointed chortle. It sounded like she was trying to cough up a hairball. The dilos looked simultaneously amused and worried.

'Y'er such purdy aminals . . . anmamnals . . . manimals . . .'

The group approached Ellie cautiously. The dilos parted to make room for them.

'Hey, guyzzzzzz . . .' she drawled, standing unsteadily on her feet, 'Have you seen theezzz thingzzz? They're all poofy! Ha! Haha! Y'know, I think you're all pretty good friends . . .'

She lumbered towards the group with her arms open, preparing to hug them. She stopped a few feet in front of the scarred raptor, closing her arms around thin air and falling flat on her face. She lay still for a few seconds.

Morton stepped forward.

'Hey, Ellie . . . Y'alright?'

A muffled giggle came from where her face was buried in the dirt.

'You can have her . . .' the lead dilo grumbled.

***_TSJPFEW_***

After careful consideration, the dilophosaurs decided to join the rebellion. Apparently, Ellie's antics were too good to miss. They formed a living stretcher to carry her back to the camp, as no one else could touch her without going blind. It was decided that the best plan of action was to go straight home, though they hadn't met their recruitment quota. They needed to get Ellie clean before supper, and besides, it was getting late.

The scarred raptor listened to Ellie ramble. She still wasn't making any sense, especially since she had switched to English halfway through her babbling. Only the three raptors understood her at this point, being the most intelligent creatures in the vicinity.

"Sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows, everything that's wonderful is what I feel when we're together . . ."

'What on earth is she doing?' Lance shrieked, covering his ears.

'I think she's trying to sing . . .' Crusher suggested.

"Brighter than a lucky penny- Agh!"

She jolted a little.

'Ellie, are you okay?' the scarred raptor asked.

"What are YOU doing here?"

'I never left . . .' she replied with confusion.

"I thought my spirit journey was over . . ."

Ah. She was talking to herself.

"What do you mean? I'm helping them, aren't I?"

'She talking 'bout us?' Crusher asked.

"I dunno. Empathy?"

She paused.

"That's crazy! What could I possibly gain by staying here?"

'Ah-ha! I knew it: she's leaving us!' Lance declared victoriously.

"This isn't _about _me. Why do you have to make everything so personal?"

'Don't be so sure . . .' Crusher said, smirking at Lance.

"Can't I just help them? Not everything is a spiritual quest, you know . . ."

This pause lasted longer than the others.

"Bullshit. There are no ulterior motives. None. I'm helping them out of kindness, that's all . . ."

'Ellie? . . .'

Suddenly, her voice grew loud and indignant.

"_Could_ have run? _COULD_ HAVE RUN? Where would I _go_? How long would it take for them to track me down? And haven't you been paying attention? I'm here by _choice_. Because I'm trying to be a good person."

She scoffed at her invisible partner-in-conversation.

"So what? I couldn't just _leave_ them there. Logically, I don't _have_ to do anything. Doesn't mean I _won't_."

They were getting close to camp. The scarred raptor could see the familiar stream snaking through the jungle.

"Well, why is anyone kind? Out of-"

Pause.

"That is _not_ what I was going to say."

Another pause.

"You've already-"

Pause.

"Stop it!"

Pause.

"Just stop! I don't have to answer!"

Pause.

"Leave me alone, leave me ALONE!"

It looked like she was on the verge of tears.

"NO! NONONONONO!"

The dilos shifted uncomfortably as she thrashed about. Finally, she stopped.

"Because it felt _RIGHT_, okay? Are you happy now? Are you happy, you _FILTHY REPTILE_?"

'Okay, boys. I think we should drop her off here . . .' the scarred raptor said to the dilos. Unfortunately, they interpreted her words as "drop her in the river".

"I oughta fry you up and serve you with-"

SPLASH!

Ellie resurfaced, gasping loudly.

"COLD! IT'S VERY COLD!"

'Someone grab her before she drowns!' the scarred raptor ordered.

'No . . . No, I'm alright . . .' Ellie said through chattering teeth.

'If you say so . . .'

She climbed onto the riverbank, her grimy clothes sagging from the weight of the water. She wrung out her shirt, only to find that it was covered in venom. She sighed and sat down on a fallen log.

'We can get you a change of clothes, if you'd like . . .' the scarred raptor offered.

'Thanks . . .'

Lance slid down beside them.

'So what was all of that yattering about?' he asked brusquely. Ellie's eyes went wide.

'That was _out loud_?'

The scarred raptor pushed him aside.

'We heard you mumbling, but we couldn't really make out what you were saying . . .'

She kicked Lance before he could respond.

'Oh . . . Alright . . .' Ellie said with a hint of relief.

'So!' the scarred raptor said brightly, 'Let's go home!'

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan stared down at the broken bridge and sighed. This was going to take longer than he thought . . .

"Hey, Alan! Come look at this!"

Charlie was standing near a grey puddle. He sniffed the air and crinkled his snout.

"Ewww . . . This stuff is _nasty_!"

"Stay away from that. It looks dangerous . . ." Alan warned him.

While scanning the ground, Alan noticed that there were some very bizarre tracks in the dirt. They ranged from tiny to fairly large, and they were scattered all over the place. Comparing Charlie's tracks to some of the larger ones, Alan decided that most of the prints belonged to raptors.

"I think your pack might have come this way."

"Really? How can you tell?"

"These footprints belong to a velociraptor. See?"

It was strange: on the other side of the canyon, the grey stuff seemed to be spattered in a circle. There were a couple of stray globs, but most of it seemed to be aimed at one particular spot. Leading away from the largest puddle were some unfamiliar tracks. They certainly didn't belong to any dinosaur Alan knew and, were it not for the random and smudged nature of them, he might wonder whether they belonged to something humanoid.

"We'd better keep moving. I have a bad feeling about this place . . ."

"But the bridge is down. How will we cross?"

Alan straightened his hat.

"The canyon doesn't go on forever. If we head North, we'll be able to find a place where the river gets narrow."

"I can't swim!" Charlie whimpered.

"That's alright. It might get so shallow that we can wade across."

Charlie nodded and hopped onto Alan's shoulders once more. He yawned and draped his head across his clavicle like a saurian necklet.

Soon, he was fast asleep.

***_TSJPFEW_***

The raptors brought Ellie to a cluttered cavern, which looked like a cross between a treasure trove and a hoarder's room.

'This is where we keep the human stuff we find,' Crusher explained.

'See if you can find anything that fits you,' the scarred raptor added.

Ellie looked around. Most of what they had collected consisted of trinkets and trash. There was a broken umbrella, a dozen empty Cokes, a fossilized raptor claw (probably fake), a hideous tie, a crushed can of shaving cream, a pillow, a steering wheel, and a license plate (among other junk).

Ellie stepped through a pile of blue feathers.

'Where did you get these?' she asked.

'A parrot. We use them to mimic,' Lance explained dully.

'To _what_?'

'You can morph into dinosaurs, we can morph halfway into birds. Figure it out.'

Ellie frowned and continued her search. She picked up a CD and examined it with confusion.

'"Jingle Cats: Meowy Christmas"? Who on earth-'

She flipped the disc over. It was labeled "Property of R. Smith".

'Oh.'

Ellie continued to dig through the trash. Finally, she felt a crinkly sleeve. When she pulled it out, she gasped.

'What is it?' the scarred raptor asked.

'This is my old shirt!'

Sure enough, the salmon-colored shirt was just as she had left it: crumpled up and covered in blood. That was why she had taken it off in the first place: she wasn't particularly fond of the stain on the shoulder.

'You gonna take it?' Lance asked.

'Yeah . . . I guess I will.'

Finally, after a thorough search, Ellie picked out a new wardrobe. She wore a red tank-top, a pair of torn jeans, beige sandals, and the infamous pink shirt. When she pulled the shirt over her arms, a haunting sense of familiarity made her shiver. At least it was a good fit . . .

Ellie, Crusher, Lance, and the scarred raptor reunited with the rest of the pack for dinner. The camp was busier than usual, with gallies, compys, bambies, herrers, and dilos marching this way and that. The raptors were displeased by this, especially when a female dilo accidentally poisoned one of their meals. This was remedied, however, when the herrerasaurs brought back a large hadrosaur carcass.

'Hey, Ellie! Over here!' Kipper shouted.

Her raptors were sitting around a dead cow. Thankfully, they had already eaten.

Ellie sat down beside Rocky.

'So, how did your talk with the chieftain go?'

He turned to show her two clawmarks on his lip.

'Oh, no! I'm so sorry . . .'

'It had to be done. She let everyone stay, but she's very eager to kill you.'

Ellie gulped.

'And she's gonna supervise us tomorrow,' Buzz added, 'Which might hinder our efforts . . .'

'No, it'll be fine. We'll figure something out,' Ellie said firmly.

'I assume you'll be wanting to round up the large carnivores tomorrow?' the scarred raptor hypothesized. Ellie nodded.

'Baryonyx, allosaurus, and T-Rex, if there are any. And maybe Metriacanthosaurs, but only if I can talk to them. I can morph into a baryonyx, and I assume that T-Rex dialect is probably similar to allosaurus. But I need to find a way to electrocute myself . . .'

'Tasers. We have them in the cave. A couple may still work,' the scarred raptor said as she sat down. Ellie bit her lip.

'I can't wait . . .'

'And I suppose we're going to let _you_ do all the work? _Again_?' Lance huffed angrily.

'Actually, no. I have a special job for you.'

Lance cocked his head.

'Really?'

'Yeah. You _are _the fastest runner, after all.'

He smiled proudly.

'I am, aren't I? You know, this one time, I was being chased by a jeep . . .'

'Here we go,' Crusher sighed.

***_TSJPFEW_***

As the sun began to set, Charlie woke up. He was definitely recharged after his little nap. Alan regretted letting him sleep for so long. Now he'd be up all night . . .

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"How long will it be before we get there?"

"I don't know."

"How-"

"Look, if I had to guess, I'd say that we'll find your pack tonight . . . if we keep moving, that is. Then you can see your mom and your brothers and your dad and-"

"I don't have a dad."

"Sorry. Well, you'll see the rest of your family . . ."

Charlie looked worried. Alan hoped that he hadn't upset him by mentioning his father.

"Maybe we should take a break," Charlie squeaked. Alan raised an eyebrow.

"What for? Don't you want to go home?"

Charlie looked at him with wide, pleading eyes.

"What's wrong?" Alan asked worriedly.

"I'm scared . . ."

"Why?"

"Because my mom will be _furious_ when I get back!"

Alan ran his fingers through his hair.

"She might be a _little_ angry, but I bet she'll be happy to see you . . ."

Charlie shook his head.

"She just wants me back so that I can help her exterminate the humans."

Alan stopped walking.

"Exterminate? . . ."

"I'm the only raptor who can morph all the way. If I let them through the gate, they'll kill everyone. My brothers tried to find an alternative . . ."

"Wait, wait, wait. So you're saying that she wants you to sneak across the fence and-"

"-and let her in, yes."

"That's . . . I mean . . ." Alan stammered.

"I don't want to kill anyone," Charlie said quietly, "But my mother . . ."

He fell silent. Alan didn't know what to say. Finally, Charlie hopped off his shoulders.

"I understand if you don't want to help me anymore."

Charlie walked away sadly, letting his tail droop to the ground. Alan looked at Mount Sibo, then to the other side of the island. He could see the top of an electric fence, probably miles away. What was he going to do?

Alan sighed. There was a reason why Charlie had asked him to tag along. Assuming that he could morph into a bird at any time, there was really nothing stopping him from simply flying across the island on his own. He was clearly stalling, though Alan hadn't had the faintest idea why. Now, everything made sense. This child didn't want to be responsible for the deaths of a hundred people. He wasn't ready to be a killer.

"Charlie . . ."

The raptor stopped walking and turned his head. The expression on his face was heartbreaking.

"I won't be leaving any time soon . . ."

"You won't?"

"I'll help you find your way home."

Charlie ran over and hugged his leg. Alan picked him up and carried him over to the base of a tall tree. They sat down quietly and watched the sky grow dark. Eventually, Charlie curled up by Alan's side. He sprouted feathers along his back to keep himself warm. It wasn't a particularly safe place to sleep, so Alan kept watch for most of the night. Still, try as he might, he couldn't stop himself from drifting off.

Soon, they were both fast asleep.


	20. Reunion

When Ellie woke up, she didn't remember where she was. It took her a second to get her bearings, but she finally realized that she was lying in a pile of raptors. She plucked a bambiraptor off of her face and placed him gently on a sleeping herrerasaur. A gallimimus had woven its neck around her legs, so she moved him too. Finally, she was forced to wake up Morton, as he had been chewing on her foot. He apologized, but went back to sleep.

None of the other raptors were awake, so Ellie decided to nab an early breakfast. She stepped out of the cave and squinted her eyes. The sun was awfully bright.

'Ellie Sattler.'

She jumped. The chieftain was standing on a rock beside the cavern.

'H-hello . . .'

'Come with me. I have something to show you.'

Ellie was positive that being alone with the chieftain was a bad idea. If the group wasn't there to witness the conversation, it would be easy for Ellie to have a little "accident" while they were away. All in all, she didn't trust the chieftain. Not one bit.

'I have two days left . . .'

'I'm not going to kill you,' the chieftain said calmly.

'Th-'

'. . . today.'

Ellie nodded slowly.

'Follow.'

She trailed behind the chieftain as she climbed up the valley wall. The striations made it easy to walk diagonally up the cliff, though Ellie became quite nervous when she looked down. They were dreadfully high. A fall from this distance would be fatal.

When they reached the top, the chieftain pointed down at the valley.

'Look down. Tell me what you see.'

Ellie was sick and tired of all of this metaphorical bullshit.

'I see a group of dinosaurs working together. Peacefully. Happily,' she said casually.

'And why do you think they are content?' asked the chieftain.

'Because I helped them put their differences aside.'

'Wrong.'

Ellie snorted. The chieftain clearly wanted the upper hand in their conversation, but she wasn't exactly the "wise" type. Well, two could play at this game . . .

'If you're going to say that they're happy because "they don't know any better", then I swear-'

Suddenly, the chieftain lunged at Ellie, knocking her over. Before she knew what she was doing, Ellie had kicked the chieftain's shoulder and rolled over to the side. It took a few seconds before Ellie realized that she was hissing, not like a snake, but like a velociraptor. She stood up quickly, but found that she was unbalanced. Ellie looked down and saw that one of her feet was half-changed into a raptor claw. The chieftain had a gash across her shoulder.

'You think that you are bringing this pack together, but I assure you, you are nothing more than an imposter. They follow you because they sense your misplaced compassion, but they do not realize that you are a sham. You are not a raptor. You will _never _be a raptor.'

'I'm not TRYING to be a raptor!' Ellie complained.

'You are trying to be a leader. Only a raptor can lead this colony, and you are _not_ a raptor,' the chieftain spat angrily.

In the valley below, the eight raptors were beginning to assemble. They spoke with Morton, who called Penelope over. The herrerasaurs spread out, swiveling their heads from side to side. They were looking for Ellie.

'I'm not trying to be a leader,' Ellie said, staring the chieftain straight in the eyes, 'I only want what's best for my friends.'

'Do not try to govern my people, Ellie Sattler.'

Ellie stepped down from the ledge.

'So try doing it yourself.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan was drifting through a state of half-consciousness. He dreamt that he was in the hotel room, then in the jungle, then by the canyon. He thought that he was awake several times, but it couldn't be real, since he was hearing voices.

Charlie shifted by his side. Alan could hear him yawning (apparently, raptors yawned), but there was something else that caught his attention.

Alan's eyes fluttered open. He was definitely awake, but he could hear two men talking.

"Someone's coming!" Charlie whispered.

Alan stood up. They weren't alone in the jungle. He peeked around the tree trunk. Two men in beige uniforms were trudging through the undergrowth. Charlie tugged on Alan's pantleg.

"C'mon, we gotta go. Now!"

Alan crouched down.

"Listen, Charlie, you need to morph into a bird. I think they might be looking for you."

"I can't! I'm scared . . ."

"I know you're scared, but everything is going to be-"

_FWOP!_

A dart with a puffy, pink tailpiece pierced the bark by Alan's neck.

"RUN!"

The uniformed men gave chase, shooting tranquilizer darts at their quarry. Alan and Charlie sped along the side of the canyon, kicking up sand and dirt as they ran. It wasn't a very formidable chase, as their pursuers were forced to waddle in their baggy clothing.

When they were out of the men's field of vision, Alan grabbed Charlie and hoisted him up into a tree with dense foliage. They climbed higher and higher until they were out of sight. They panted softly and watched the men run past.

"I think they're gone . . ." Alan whispered, "But we'd better wait-"

He swayed from side to side. All of that running must have made him dizzy . . .

"Oh, no!"

Charlie pointed to Alan's heel. A tuft of pink plastic was sticking out of his sock.

***_TSJPFEW_***

'Anyway, Bucky got honey _all _over his face, and the bees weren't too happy . . .' Kipper laughed.

'Darn right! They stung me all over the place.'

'Hey, remember when you tried to catch that cuttlefish?' Crusher chuckled.

'How can I forget?'

'He stuck his head in a coral crevice!' Crusher said to Ellie, 'It was a very bad idea: a crab pinched his nostril!'

Ellie smiled. Despite the looming presence of the chieftain, everything was hunky-dory in the pack. They had decided that it would have to be a raptors-only mission (mostly due to their new supervisor), but it was easier to travel in small numbers, anyway. Bucky seemed to enjoy telling stories about the colorful predicaments he got himself into. Apparently, he was infamous among the raptors, and with good reason. They all knew stories about him, and they enjoyed recounting these anecdotes to a fresh audience (i.e. Ellie). Aside from Rocky, Buzz, and the scarred raptor, no one seemed to mind the chieftain's presence. Well, maybe Otto did, but they wouldn't have been able to tell either way.

'C'mon, you guys! Ellie is_ sick_ of your stories! She wants to hear about _me_!' Lance said with an oily grin.

Somehow, Lance had slipped out of his temporary feud with Ellie. She suspected that it had something to do with her inclusion of him as a key member in their recruitment mission. He certainly had a hungry ego . . .

Without warning, Lance sprouted feathers and flapped into a nearby tree.

'Shit!' Ellie gasped.

'Pretty impressive, huh? You'll never guess how I found the falcon that gave me this ability . . .'

'He climbed a mountain: end of story,' Bucky babbled.

'It was a _big_ mountain . . .'

'It's not _nearly_ as impressive as my kingfisher story . . .' Kipper laughed.

'Do you only have one morph per raptor, then?' Ellie asked.

'Naw, but we like to pick a special morph for bragging rights. Bucky's is a chicken-'

'ROOSTER!'

'Bucky's is a rooster, Otto's is a raven, and Crusher's is a swan.'

'A swan? As in, the _graceful _waterfowl?' Ellie laughed.

'Swans are scary . . .' Crusher retorted defensively.

'I guess you can speak English, then, with those parrot feathers I saw earlier . . .'

'Yeah. But _our _language is easier,' Crusher mumbled.

'We should have brought some along. It might be useful to have English-speaking recruits,' Ellie said.

'They'd have to learn it first. We can't _all_ catch exotic diseases,' the chieftain said pointedly. Ellie turned around and glared at her.

'And I suppose you've never tried _using_ your linguistic skills to solve all of these political problems?' Ellie hissed.

'Humans don't listen.'

'Some do.'

'Look! Is that a Paltry Tyrannulet?' Kipper yapped.

The group scanned the trees, but saw nothing.

'My mistake.'

They marched on, ignoring Kipper's comment. When she was sure that the chieftain wasn't looking, Ellie rubbed up against his side in thanks.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Alan! Alan, wake up!"

Charlie sniffled. Alan was very much unconscious, and his breathing was getting shallow . . .

"This is all my fault! I should have flown away when I had the chance . . ."

Alan didn't answer. Charlie had plucked the syringe out of his heel, but the damage was done. It had been over a half an hour since Alan had lost consciousness. This was looking bad . . .

"Come on . . . get up! Please . . ."

He nuzzled Alan's hand, which fell limply off the branch. Charlie didn't want Alan to fall out of the tree, but if he slumped over any further, there would be no way to hold him straight.

"Please, don't die . . ."

Alan twitched a little. Charlie was worried that he might already be dead, but he started breathing more steadily. After a few seconds, Alan opened his eyes.

"You're okay!" Charlie bubbled, hugging him tightly around the neck.

"Mph! Yeah, I'm fine . . ." Alan drawled, "But they'll be after us soon . . ."

Charlie watched as he tried to climb down from the tree. He teetered back and forth, swaying woozily. His foot slipped on a mossy branch. Charlie dove down, sprouting feathers as he fell. He hooked his claws through Alan's shirt and flapped his wings furiously. This lessened the fall.

"Thanks . . ."

Alan held onto the tree trunk to steady himself as he got up. Charlie pushed his legs to keep him from toppling over. It was scary to see him so dazed. Being lethargic after waking up was one thing, but this was completely out of control.

"THERE THEY ARE!"

Charlie yelped. The ecru-suited men were back, and they still had their tranquilizer guns. If Alan got hit again, he would die for sure . . .

Charlie grabbed Alan's shoulders once more and took off. He dragged him through the sand, letting his feet kick uselessly against the ground. He was awfully heavy. Alan tried to put more weight into his legs, but he was too drowsy. Finally, they came to the edge of the cliff.

"Charlie . . ."

"They're coming!"

"Fly away. I'll be fine . . ."

A dart whizzed past Charlie's leg.

"I'm not leaving you."

"You have no choice."

Charlie looked over the edge of the cliff. The river was churning vigorously.

"I'm sorry, Alan," he whimpered.

"Don't be. You need to s-"

"Hold your breath!"

Charlie pulled him over the cliff. They tumbled through the air like a couple of shot-down war planes.

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE!" Alan screamed.

Before Charlie could answer, they plunged into the frothing rapids.

***_TSJPFEW_***

' . . . eventually had to eviscerate him with his own claws. It was SOOOOOO gory!' Crusher reflected. Ellie scrunched up her nose.

'Yuck.'

'I know, right? But that's _nothing_ compared to my parasaurolophus story . . .'

'Oh, hush! Can't someone _else _have a turn?' Kipper said with aggravation, 'We _all _have stories . . .'

Ellie stopped dead in her tracks.

'Does anyone else hear that?'

They cocked their heads.

'What, the river?' Crusher asked.

'No . . . It sounds like screaming . . .'

A muffled cry came from the distance.

'Wait a minute . . . I know that voice . . .'

The chieftain pushed forward.

'Don't get distracted. If you want to waste the last two days of your life, fine, but don't force us to go along with you on some pointless detour.'

The scream came again.

'Alan? . . . ALAN!'

Before anyone could hold her back, Ellie darted through the jungle. The raptors followed close behind her, but she had suddenly developed superhuman speed.

'Ellie, WAIT!' Rocky shouted.

She stopped at the edge of a river. Someone was speeding down the rapids.

'ALAN!'

Without thinking, Ellie jumped straight in. She was quickly overwhelmed by the current, which sent her reeling downriver. All she could do was thrash around and panic.

'We have to save her!' Crusher yelped.

'No! It's too late. We'll find whatever's left of her downriver,' the chieftain ordered. The gang backed down, but reluctantly. They watched helplessly as she was carried away by the raging rapids.

Ellie tried to steady herself, but she kept bumping into boulders. Each time this happened, she would find herself spinning through the water like a greased dreidel. Once or twice, her sandals got caught on the bottom of the river, pulling her underwater.

When she resurfaced for the third or fourth time, Ellie felt something digging into her shoulders. A baby raptor was clinging to her back like a monkey. He sputtered and coughed in her face.

'Who-'

Alan drifted past. Ellie grabbed him and held him close. He was unconscious, but he didn't look dead. The three of them spun around chaotically, each trying to hold onto each other for protection.

Gradually, the river began to grow calm. As soon as it was possible to move freely, Ellie headed for the riverbank. She dragged Alan ashore, laid him flat on his back, and tried to resuscitate him. The raptor watched anxiously, his blue feathers dripping with water. Finally, Alan coughed up a spray of water.

"You're okay . . ." Ellie whispered, cradling his head in her arms.

When he shook off his dizziness, Alan stared at Ellie for a very long time.

"I died . . . didn't I?"

Ellie frowned.

"What? No! You're not dead!"

"Then you're a GHOST?"

Ellie pulled back her head in surprise.

"Ghost? Why would- First of all, I'd be an angel, and second- Wait . . . You thought I was _dead_? Well, that explains why you didn't come after me . . ."

The raptor looked from Ellie to Alan.

"Wait a minute . . . Is this _Ellie_?"

Alan nodded without taking his eyes off of her.

"He must be speaking English," Ellie surmised, "or you wouldn't understand him. I guess he has parrot-"

Alan wrapped his arms around Ellie and squeezed her tight.

"Ack! Alan, you're squishing me . . ."

He didn't let go. Ellie gave up and pressed her cheek against his shoulder. He held the back of her head (which was still wet from the river) and began to shake a little.

"Alan, are you crying?" Ellie mumbled through his chest.

"Mmm-hm," he whimpered unsteadily.

"Oh, Alan. You don't have to worry: we're alive, we're safe, we're together . . ."

"Please don't ever die again . . ."

Ellie laughed.

"Well, I'll have to die someday . . ."

Tomorrow, to be exact.

Ellie pulled away from Alan. He held her hand firmly, not wanting to break contact.

"We have to find the raptors. I'm supposed to be rounding up large theropods for the rebellion-"

Alan's eyes went wide.

"It's a long story . . ."

"Hey! We're looking for the raptors, too!" the baby raptor babbled.

Alan suddenly remembered that they were not alone.

"Oh, right. Ellie, this is Charlie. We were on our way to find his pack-"

"-but we were attacked by a _thousand _guards!" Charlie finished.

"Something like that . . ." Alan mumbled.

"Well, this is _great _news!" Charlie beamed, "Now I don't have to go through with the vulture plan!"

"Vulture plan?" Ellie repeated.

"Yeah. My mom wanted me to morph into a vulture and help the other raptors break into the compound, but it sounds like my brothers finally convinced her to change her mind, though I don't remember them mentioning large theropods . . ."

"You must be the chieftain's son!" Ellie gasped, "I've met your brothers. We've been rounding up all kinds of theropods to infiltrate InGen . . ."

Charlie hopped up and down excitedly.

"Yes! Now I don't have to be afraid anymore-"

He stopped.

"I mean . . . I don't need to follow my mom's directions. Did she ask about me? Was she worried?"

"She missed you very much," Ellie lied, "But now you'll be together . . ."

"Should we go and find them?" Alan asked. Ellie shook her head.

"No . . . I think it'd be best to wait here. We don't want to get lost again . . ."

"Do they know where to find us?" Alan asked. Ellie shrugged.

"They're smart. Besides, there's only so many places a stream could take us . . ."

Alan nodded.

"Are these raptors-"

He searched for the right words.

". . . friendly?"

Ellie smiled.

"Most of them."

"Right. So we're safe, then?"

"For the moment, yes. I see you've made a friend . . ." Ellie said, avoiding the subject.

"Hi!" The raptor yapped.

"Charlie, right? That's a cute name."

"Thanks. Alan's told me all about you!"

Ellie raised an eyebrow.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Is it true that you're afraid of starfish?"

Alan smiled sheepishly as Ellie shot him a murderous glare.

"He, uh- He wanted to hear the puddle story . . ."

'CRAW! CRAW! CRAW!'

The raptors thundered through the forest. Charlie noticed the chieftain at the helm of the pack. He ran up to her, wagging his tail gleefully.

'Mother, mother! You'll never guess what happened-'

She ran past him. He turned his head in confusion. Rocky picked him up by the scruff of his neck and placed him on his back. Buzz touched his snout against Charlie's side.

'You tried to leave the pack!' the chieftain hissed at Ellie.

'What? That's ridiculous! I didn't-'

'Quiet! There is _no_ excuse for what you have done!'

'But I-'

'We had a deal. You neglected to hold up _your _side of the bargain . . .'

The scarred raptor stepped forward.

'Chieftain, she-'

'One more word, and I'll slay you where you stand!'

The scarred raptor fell silent, but glared at her resentfully. The chieftain turned to Ellie.

'As for you . . .'

'Not here! Not now! Bring me back to camp. I promise, if you'll just bring me to the valley, I'll let you do whatever you want. Please. Bring me home.'

The chieftain considered this.

'Very well. You will serve as an example. No one will ever cross me again . . .'

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie refused to explain her situation to Alan. How could she, after all they had been through? She couldn't let him cause a scene, or the chieftain would kill them both.

Poor Alan. He'd be heartbroken if he knew that he was about to lose her again.

As they filed into the valley, the group was met with confused stares. Although they had spent the entire day away from the base, they hadn't returned with any large carnivores. Something was clearly wrong.

As Ellie glided past Morton and Penelope, she tried to put on a brave face. They didn't fall for it.

'Ellie, why-'

'Everything is going to be okay. Just . . . Just don't intervene, whatever happens.'

'Ellie! . . .'

She ignored them and kept walking.

Finally, the chieftain stood upon the overturned boulder and stared down at Ellie. The colony had formed a wide ring around them. They could sense that something terrible was about to happen.

The setting sun lit up the sky with an ominous glow, bathing the valley in blood-red light. Everyone fell silent.

"Alan, take Charlie to the caves," Ellie said calmly as she stared at the chieftain.

"But why-"

"If you love me, you will do as I say."

Alan was deeply affected by her brash words, but dared not argue. He escorted Charlie to the sleeping-cave, watching Ellie over his shoulder. When they were out of sight, Ellie turned to the chieftain.

'I hope you're happy. You've singlehandedly crushed the last, _best_ effort to resolve your problems peacefully.'

'Your plan was destined to fail,' the chieftain hissed.

'No . . . No, it was _you_ who decided to ignore your only hope. You've doomed us all.'

'Us? There _is_ no "us"!' the chieftain spat, 'You are a _human_. You are _not _our kind. You don't _belong_ here. No _human_ deserves to be in the presence of raptors! By trying to unite us, you have only tarnished our name-'

'And what name is _that_? How can a species hold themselves to any standard if they won't even listen to reason? The vision you choose to pursue is not one of nobility. You kill in cold blood, you quarrel amongst yourselves, and you even go so far as to throw your youngest son into a dangerous situation for your personal gain. That is not nobility: that is barbarianism!'

'We do what we must to survive. If you had your way, we'd be at the mercy of our enemies. That is _not _what it means to be a raptor.'

'I know. But this isn't about being a raptor. It's about being a good person.'

'Humans are not _good_! They kill, they maim, they injure-'

'YOU kill! YOU maim! YOU injure! Don't you see? If you can't find a reason to be better than the humans, then you're fighting for nothing!'

'We fight for our kind!'

'Why? Why bother, when you share no connection. I do not fight for my kind. I fight for everyone: humans, velociraptors, herrerasaurs, gallimimus, dilophosaurs, bambiraptors . . . They are not like me, yet I fight for them with all of my heart. I don't fight for my species. I fight for my _friends_!'

Finally, the chieftain could take it no more. She screamed and launched herself off of the rock. Ellie ducked out of the way, but the chieftain kept coming. She pushed Ellie to the ground. Ellie rolled over and grabbed her jaws as she snapped at her throat. The chieftain yowled as she was flipped onto her side. Ellie stood up. The chieftain righted herself, hissing at Ellie. She pounced, extending her left leg in front of her. The sickle-shaped claw caught Ellie's wrist. It sliced downwards. Ellie's other hand flew up to the cut. A stream of blood gushed through her fingers, dripping all the way down to her elbow. As Ellie lost consciousness, she heard a loud shriek and saw a flurry of blue. Then, everything went black.


	21. Leader

Ellie awoke in the early morning. She could see the last few stars peeking over the valley walls, twinkling through the clouds like silver fireflies. They danced lightly across her field of vision, spinning gently as she grew dizzy. Her arm was still throbbing, but it wasn't bleeding anymore.

"Ellie . . ."

"Alan? Alan, what's going on?"

"Shhh. Don't move. You lost a lot of blood."

Ellie turned her head. Morton and Penelope were standing by her side.

'You're crazy, you know,' Morton said reprimandingly, 'You should have let us intervene. I tell ya, I'd shred that chieftain into ribbons . . .'

'What happened to her? Is she still trying to kill me?'

'You bet she is,' Penelope interjected, 'But your raptor friends won't let her near you. Not that she's in any state to fight . . .'

'What do you mean?' Ellie asked, holding her head to ease her migraine. Morton and Penelope exchanged a look.

'When the chieftain sliced your arm, the kid went nuts . . .'

Ellie frowned.

'What kid? Charlie?'

'Yeah, that's the one. Boy, he sure did a number on her. Talk about your family issues!'

"Alan, is he telling the truth?" Ellie asked frantically.

"About?"

"Charlie."

Alan nodded.

"He attacked the chieftain. She won't let us see him . . ."

"Oh, Alan! I'm so sorry . . ." Ellie sobbed.

"For what? You're alive . . ."

Ellie shook her head.

"But the chieftain-"

'-won't harm you,' the scarred raptor said as she stepped into view, 'She wants you gone as soon as possible. You seem to be sparking dissidence among her people.'

'Gone?' Ellie wondered, 'As in . . .'

'Yes. You are free to leave the island. If you head to the North Dock, you can hotwire a boat. You'll be on the mainland in no time.'

'Just like that?'

'Just like that.'

Ellie sat up.

"Alan, she says-"

"That we're free to leave? Yeah, I heard."

"So . . . I guess we'll be going soon."

"Yeah. Are you okay to walk?" Alan asked gently.

"I think so."

The herrerasaurs stepped forward and rubbed against Ellie's shoulders.

'We're going to miss you . . .' Penelope sighed. Ellie hugged their snouts.

'I know. Me too.'

Alan and the scarred raptor helped Ellie to her feet. They walked slowly through the camp, taking it all in for the last time. Ellie's raptors were sitting at the mouth of a small cave. Obviously, Charlie and the chieftain were inside. When they saw Ellie limping by, they ran over.

'Ellie! You're okay!' Buzz cheered.

'You were so brave! _I_ couldn't have stood up to the chieftain like you did, and she's my _mother_!' Rocky added. Ellie hugged each of them.

'Thank you for watching over me,' she whispered.

'No problem,' Buzz said nonchalantly, 'That's what friends are for.'

Ellie smiled. Kipper shuffled up to her.

'It won't be the same around here without you, Ellie . . .' he said softly.

'Yeah, now I have to find someone else to brag to!' Lance wailed.

'Me too . . .' Crusher said dismally.

'Oh, shucks!' Bucky yapped, 'We're _all _gonna miss her.'

Otto just stared at Ellie, but she sensed that he was probably thinking the same thing.

She hugged each raptor in sequence. They seemed really torn up about her departure. It was kind of touching . . .

Finally, the scarred raptor stepped forward. She said nothing, but rubbed up against Ellie's side. With a side smile, Ellie returned the gesture.

Alan cleared his throat.

"I guess we should get going . . ."

Ellie nodded. She gave the raptors one last wave, then followed Alan toward the valley wall. Buzz, Rocky, and the scarred raptor escorted them to the edge. Before they began to climb, Alan unfastened his watch and gave it to the scarred raptor.

"Look, if you see Charlie, can you give this to him? He'll know what it means . . ."

The raptor took it gently in her mouth and nodded.

'Goodbye . . .' Ellie said quietly.

Because the raptor's mouth was full, all she could do was wink.

When they reached the top of the cliff, Alan and Ellie gazed at the dinosaurs below. The non-raptors hadn't yet evacuated, but it was clear that they were preparing to leave. As they joined their respective packs, certain individuals shared a sad farewell with their newfound friends. It was amazing to see such camaraderie among carnivores.

"Well, I guess this is _it _. . ." Ellie sighed.

"Yeah . . ." Alan hummed dismally.

Neither of them turned around.

"Alan . . ."

Suddenly, a piercing shriek came from the caverns. A blue macaw flapped out of the chieftain's cave. He was carrying a shiny object in his talons.

"Charlie!" Alan gasped.

The bird flew over the opposite side of the canyon. The chieftain ran after him, but she was limping badly. Soon, Charlie was only a blue speck against the sky.

After a moment of silence, the chieftain looked up at Alan and Ellie with a burning hatred.

'Get out!'

Ellie flinched.

'_GET OUT_!'

They scrambled away from the ledge and sprinted through the jungle.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Mrrrrrrrrrowrrr!"

No one was around to hear Orange's yowling in the deserted laboratory. It was still early in the morning, and most of the scientists were either asleep or out on patrol. Because of this, all of the lamps in Dr. Richthofen's lab had been turned off hours ago. The only light came from the open doorway, where Orange was pacing grumpily. He hadn't been fed for a long time, and he was sick of catching wild rats and mice.

The cat's gurgling echoed through the empty chamber. He howled like a drunken ghost, kneading the ground with his fluffy paws. Finally, he became fed up with the lack of attention. Hopping onto a metal tray, Orange batted at a roll of silver utensils, spilling them all over the floor. He pounced on a ragged leather strap and nibbled at the torn edges.

This feline vandalism continued for several minutes, until a deep rumbling came from the other side of the room. Orange pulled his claws out of the wall and looked around. He wasn't alone.

'Rrrrrrrrr . . .'

The sound wasn't coming from a human: _that_ was for sure.

In his simple, cat-like way, Orange wondered whether the unseen animal could be friendly and, more importantly, whether or not he had any food to share. He trotted across the lab to greet the growling occupant.

The rumble came again, louder this time.

Orange stepped forward with a cautious curiosity, sniffing the air in order to identify the mysterious creature. The animal seemed to be lying in an unlit corner. Orange meowed to get its attention. As the beast stood up, something metallic scraped across the floor. The shadowy figure was bolted to the wall with a heavy chain, which hooked into a sturdy collar around its neck.

Orange stepped closer. The creature opened its eyes.

Whereas most animals appear to have glowing retinas when light is shone upon their tapetum lucidum, this particular creature was undoubtedly producing its own aura. Its eyes were a fiery coral color, with streaks of yellow around the pupil, which was thin and slit-shaped.

Orange stood very still. In the darkness, he could just barely see a crest of thick quills traversing the animal's head and back. It was clearly a dinosaur, but it was too big to be a velociraptor, despite the hooked claws on its feet. It was a fearsome sight. The quills bristled menacingly as the creature growled.

Without warning, the dinosaur lunged at Orange, who bounded out of the lab like a bolt of cheese-colored lightning. The creature snarled with frustration, tugging fiercely at his chain and barking through the open door. Orange squealed as he scuttled through the compound. He scrambled up a plastic tree and hid in the branches.

This creature was definitely _NOT_ friendly.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie and Alan had been walking for a _very_ long time. Truth be told, they didn't exactly know where the North Dock was, in fact, they didn't even know which way was North.

"Alan, I think we're lost."

He nodded.

"Yup."

"Maybe we should have picked a direction."

"I thought you knew where you were going . . ." he hummed.

"Why would _I_ know?" Ellie asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, you've been out here longer than_ I_ have."

Ellie rolled her eyes.

"It'd be easier to navigate if there wasn't so much fog . . ."

Shortly after she said these words out loud, Ellie stopped walking.

"Alan. What are we walking through?"

He frowned.

"Fog. Like you said."

"No. Not fog. Mist."

"And?"

Ellie stared at him pointedly.

"And _what_ did Robin tell you about the mist?"

Alan gulped.

"You don't think . . . You don't think that this is the _same_ mist, do you?"

"Well, I don't _know_! How many misty valleys can one island have?"

"It's called Isla _Nublar_. As in, _cloudy_ island."

Ellie pushed him halfheartedly.

"Alright, hotshot. Tell me which way-"

Suddenly, the ground disappeared from beneath Ellie's feet. She tumbled down a ravine, rolling head over heel across the leafy mud. Alan called out to her, but she was already too far for him to see. She slid straight to the bottom, screaming all the way.

"Ellie?!"

She landed with a dull _whump_. Lying on her back, she groaned and spread out her arms.

"I'm fine. I just fell."

"Yeah, I noticed. Is anything broken?"

"If it was, I'd be screaming," Ellie said sardonically.

"Fair enough."

Ellie stood up and brushed herself off.

"Can you get down safely?" she asked.

"Maybe. Where _are_ you?"

"Here!" she shouted.

"That doesn't help . . ."

"Follow my voice!" she yelled.

"Alright, alright. Keep talking."

"About what?"

"Anything."

"Hmmm . . . Let's see. Nice weather we've been having lately. 'Course, I can't see much of it through this mist . . ."

Ellie paused.

"Alan?"

No reply.

" . . . Alan? . . ." she whispered.

Suddenly, two bright, white spheres began to glow in the fog.

"Hello?"

The lights blinked. Someone was watching her.

Ellie cleared her throat.

'Hello? Are you a dinosaur?'

Another pair of eyes appeared to her left. Then, another to her right. Eventually, the mist was lit up by thousands of glowing eyes.

'I'm lost . . .'

{You are not lost, Ellie Sattler . . .}

The voices seemed to belong to several individuals, yet they spoke with an eerie unity.

Ellie stepped backwards.

'Who _are_ you? . . .'

{We are the Troödon. We are the guardians of this island.}

'What? Why?'

{We have reached a higher level of consciousness.}

'Okay . . .' Ellie said slowly.

{Do not be afraid, Ellie Sattler. All will be well.}

'Are you going to kill me?'

{That is not meant to be. You have not yet completed your task.}

'Are you in cahoots with the mystical pteranodon?' Ellie grumbled.

{Henry Wu is about to open a gateway to another dimension. You must stop him before he destroys the continuity of our world.}

'What? How can I stop him?' Ellie gasped, 'I don't even know what you're _talking _about!'

{You had a plan.}

'No . . . my plan was useless. It was destined to fail . . .'

{Wrong.}

'How can you _say _that?'

{We know all. We've seen what lies in your heart.}

'My heart? MY HEART?! Tell me this, glowy-eyes: how am I supposed to fight off an entire corporation without killing anybody? I'm not a war hero: I'm Ellie Sattler. A paleobotanist can't take down InGen!'

{No. But a raptor can.}

Ellie stared at them. The lights began to flicker out, one by one.

A̫̱̤͙̔ͯ̾̈́ ͎̮͂ͭ̉͢r̘͂͌ͣa͔͙̱͚͒ͨ̽͋̊̌p̣̖̤̈́̒ț͕͖͕̩̺̼́͗͐o̯̘̖ͅŗͫ ̌͛ͪ ̧͖͔̌̽c̃̊̇͊̓a̼̘̣̞̤n̠̼̫̮̳͕̬̂͗̃̚.̠̹͂ͅ

'Wait! Where are you _going_?' 

Ȳ̺̣̍̈ͬͣ̚o̮͈͓̪͍̠̼̊ͮͯ̈́̅u͈͚̹ͫ̂̔̄͊̂́ͅ ̦̺̜͉͍̥ȁ̢̯͈̩̬̼̃r̛͆̇ͧ̌e̘̹͕̫̍̌̐ͨ̚ ͣ͂̔̇̇n̋͆͝e͔̟͒ͤ̆͋ͮv̟̣̯̯̎̐̑̃̅͆͡e̴̗͚̫͂̒͆̅́r̵ͬ̍̄̀̽ ͆̎ ̑̀ă̮̓̽l͓͈̯͓̥̪̮̐ͣͪo̰͈̠͌͑̂̋͌̈́̚n̞̹̰͕̠ͅeͩ̃̑̓̎̒̅̀.̵͓̪͖ ̍

'Stop! Come back!'

W̧̱ͫ͐͆͛̚h̗̠̥̠͉ͅeͧ̎̽̎ͮ̇͢r̖̟̉ͧ̽̈́̽̚ẹ͖̩̳̰̳̣̉̃̉̕v̯̰̍͊̔ ̉̅́̀e͓͔͉͕̭̬̠ͨ͋́͊̾̎̑r͚͚͇̩̟̫ͩ̓̌̈̊ ̮͚͙͚̓̔̾̈́ͮ͊̚y̠̩̺ͮ́ͩȯ̝̲̗̫̀̃̊̆̃̿u̸̙͚ͦͧ ̼̩̤̓̇̒ͪm̞͍̮͋̿̚ǎ̢͈̞̤̥͓̠̘ÿ̶̝͍́ ̣̮̙̥͔͗ẗ̼̹́̐ͤͯ̉̓͂̕r͕̖̔ͪ̂̚ͅè͌͑ͣͧa̳͚̯̹̅̏̋ͬͩ̎̽͞d̾̈́̉ͭ, ̡̙͓̩͓͎͙ͭ̽ͭͤͥͦ ́̇̏́̃̈́̒t͙̯̬h̪̄̃͂̅ͤe̴ͦͮͭ ͖T̮͖̩ͩ̌̽̎̑̏r̯͔͛o̜̯̯̯̻͇̮͗͊͒ö͕̲͙͕̹̔̾̌̋́́d̸̮̝̮̦̖̬̓ͫó͉ ̼͎̬̱̍ͧ͝n̰͕͙̰͓͚̥̊͐̋̿̑̓͊ ̲͚͢w̱ͭͩͮ̔̅̃̿͝ị̫ͧ̔ͣ͝l͓̠̭͖̎̉̓̾͗̏̚l̲̲͕̗͙̭̼̇̄͐̈ͤ́̚ ̬̫̎̀̎̑ͅͅḟ̞͕̝̤͕̯ͫͩ̄̃͞ȯ̰̃̍̀͊͌l͉͔̓͗̉ͤl̓̉ͭõ̼͎̺̽ͮ̈͐͛ͩw͖ ̭̳̖̭͓͇̏̔͑ͩ.̵͕̰͈̝̦̿̀̿̃

Ellie stared into the mist. After a few seconds, she heard footsteps.

Alan appeared to her right. He sounded out of breath.

"Oh, thank _god_! I thought I'd lost you!"

Ellie took Alan's hands in her own and stared into his eyes.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked.

"Plenty of things. But we're going to fix them."

Alan gave her a questioning look.

"So, are we still lost? . . ."

"No," Ellie said, looking at the misty outline of Mount Sibo, "I know _exactly _where we're going."

***_TSJPFEW_***

The scarred raptor chewed idly on a dry femur. The other raptors were lying in a loose circle, silent as statues. Although none of them spoke, there was a general sense of "Now what?" between them. With Charlie gone and Ellie off the island, they had no plan. Even the chieftain, who had been so invested in the revolution, had lost her spark. Something had died inside of her when Charlie left, and she barely had the strength to crawl down from her cave. There was nothing they could do but wait to be exterminated by the scientists.

Lance was lying on his back. He changed his foot into a falcon talon and wiggled it around. The scarred raptor shot him a look, and he rolled onto his stomach.

'We can't keep going on like this, you know.'

'I know,' she replied.

Crusher slid closer.

'What are we gonna do?' he asked softly.

The scarred raptor turned her neck so that she didn't have to face them.

'Ask the chieftain.'

The raspy barking of a herrerasaur broke the silence.

'Alright everyone! It's time to move out!' Morton declared.

Bucky sighed.

'I guess they're leaving . . .'

'I guess so,' the scarred raptor replied.

'Are we just going to let them go?' Buzz said with aggravation.

The scarred raptor stood up.

'What else can we do? Without Ellie, this plan is destined to fail!'

'You sound like the chieftain,' Rocky whispered.

'I'm no leader.'

'Neither is the chieftain,' Kipper sighed.

At that very moment, a valiant cry came from the top of the valley. There, standing proudly at the edge of the kopje, was Alan Grant and a very tall raptor. The herrerasaurs, who had been flooding out of the valley, turned their attention to the peak. The scarred raptor stood with her mouth agape.

'Ellie? . . .'

The raptor on the kopje stepped forward and addressed the masses.

'Raptors, herrerasaurs, gallimimus, and otherwise: this is not the time to flee, but the time to _fight_! If we stand united, no force on earth or heaven will stand in our way!'

'Ellie! What are you doing? You were supposed to leave!' the scarred raptor said frantically. Ellie smiled.

'And miss the party? I don't think so.'

'You're crazy!'

'Yes. But that's why this plan is going to work. Theropods, I have returned of my own volition. Is this irrational? Maybe. But I know, deep down in my heart, that I cannot leave this island until you have been liberated.'

'Ellie, you shouldn't have come back . . .'

'Why not? Because it was a bad idea? Well, consider this: at one time, I would have said that building Jurassic Park was a _good_ idea. But it's not that simple. If I've learned one thing from my stay at Isla Nublar, it's that the best ideas are the ones that fail. We can't fight chaos, so we might as well embrace it!'

'What are you saying?' Morton asked.

'If we can put our heads together and come up with the most absurd, ridiculous, and downright _silly_ plan we can think of, then we can't possibly fail!'

'Why not?'

'Because when you do everything WRONG, the universe will make sure that things go RIGHT.'

'That's just silly!'

'Yes. Yes it is. Now, are you going to fight with me, or do I have to do this thing alone?'

The scarred raptor looked to her left and right. Buzz, Rocky, Bucky, Lance, Otto, Crusher, and Kipper were standing beside her, ready for battle. The herrerasaurs joined them, and the compsognathus soon after. Eventually, the entire valley stood proud and tall, all awaiting Ellie Sattler's command.

Ellie smiled.

'Let's go!'


	22. Jurassic War

Perched above an electric fence, two guards sat idly in an observation tower. The sun was rising over the hill on the untamed side of the barricade, sending bright beams across the purple haze and lighting up the morning sky with beautiful striations.

It was quite a glorious vision to behold but, regrettably, the men were not paying attention to the landscape. This was understandable: they'd seen this same view countless times. At five-thirty in the morning, it was hard to enjoy much of _anything_, let alone repetitive celestial cycles.

"Hey, Joe. Do you ever think about quittin'?" one guard asked.

The other guard looked at his companion with disdain.

"Why? You thinking of leaving me? Go ahead, I do all the _hard_ work . . ." he huffed grumpily.

"No, no. Nothing like that," the first guard replied, "It's just that . . . Oh, I dunno. I wish we had better jobs, is all."

"The pay is good."

"Yeah, but I just wish something would _happen_, you know?"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. The workers' keys jingled on their hooks, clanging noisily against the metal pole where they had been hung. A massive cloud of dust appeared over the hill.

"What the . . ."

As the cloud got closer, the workers could distinguish several green-brown shapes galloping across the field. They honked and trumpeted, trampling everything in their path.

"Stampede . . ." one guard gasped, "STAMPEDE!"

They abandoned their stations as one hundred and fifty-three parasaurolophus barreled through the electric fence. The first few individuals were shocked, but it wasn't long before the entire structure crumbled under their weight. The wires snapped with a loud _twang_ as the poles collapsed beneath the horde of hadrosaurs. The guards watched the fray with wide eyes, ducking behind a metal bin.

"We'd better call for backup . . ." one guard squeaked.

"Ya think?" his companion growled, cuffing him on his helmet.

When the dust had cleared, the two guards saw the source of the hadrosaurs' panic. A pack of raptors had been chasing the herd, but for some strange reason, they didn't manage to kill a single one. The beasts stared at the guards, who shrunk away with fear. A short raptor yapped tersely, and the pack backed off without attacking. Odd.

One of the guards pulled out his walkie-talkie and pressed the red button.

"This is tower number thirty-seven. We've had some major damage down here. The perimeter is _not _secure. Please send help . . ."

Neither of them noticed a tiny, green compsognathus scurry across the field and into the compound.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Gerry Harding sat down with apprehension. He had been called to Wu's office, but no one would tell him what for. It probably wasn't a promotion, he could tell _that _much.

Wu sat at the other end of his desk, twirling that ghastly staff of his indifferently.

"Dr. Harding."

"Dr. Wu."

"I heard that you were considering resignation . . ."

Gerry nodded.

"Yeah. I think it's time to retire . . ."

"So soon?" Wu asked patronizingly, "Are you sure you can handle the financial pressure?"

"Don't even go there," Harding spat in warning, "You have no business dabbling in my affairs . . ."

Wu smiled.

"Don't be so sure . . ."

He slid a manila envelope across the table. Harding stared at it with confusion.

"Go ahead. Open it."

Gerry reached inside slowly. He pulled out a pink sheet. After reading the first few lines, he went pale.

"Oh, Gerry. You should have known that I wouldn't just let this slide. I specifically asked everyone present during the incident to identify any potential carriers of the disease. I don't like it when people lie to me . . ."

"If this is about Jess-"

"Don't play dumb with me!" Wu growled, "You granted a native safe passage off the island. She wasn't even supposed to _be _on Nublar . . ."

"Well, neither were _you_, but that didn't stop you from hiding away in the lab-"

"I had work to do!"

"Sure, sure. Like what? Incubating that baby raptor? What ever happened to it, Henry? Did it die along with all of your other creations?"

Suddenly, a worker burst through the door.

"Dr. Wu! There's an emergency down at-"

He saw Gerry.

"Oh. Am I . . . Am I interrupting something?"

"No. Come in. Doctor Harding was just leaving," Wu said calmly.

Gerry stood up and walked to the door. Wu held it open for him. When he passed through the doorframe, however, Wu grabbed the top of his coat and pulled him close.

"Don't think that this is over, Harding . . ." he whispered, "I will not rest until each and every infected individual is quarantined."

As soon as Wu let him go, Gerry walked hastily down the hallway. It was definitely, _definitely _time to move back to San Diego.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie pattered through the Visitors' Center. Although she had donned a lab coat, she wasn't doing a very good job of blending in. While most scientists were headed towards the source of the disturbance, Ellie was trying to find the control room. She needed to switch off the electric fences on the south side of the compound, but cutting off the park's power supply entirely was out of the question. No one wanted to fight in the dark, especially with so much at stake.

After pushing past a group of frantic maintenance workers, Ellie slid through an open door. Her sandals clicked on the linoleum floor, echoing louder than she would have wanted. As she rounded the corner, she ran into two women with black headsets.

"Hey! Where are YOU going?" one of them asked.

Ellie blinked.

"I was sent to fix the computers."

One woman gave her a suspicious look.

"Oh, yeah? What's wrong with them?"

A bead of sweat ran down the side of Ellie's face.

"The- uh . . . The floppy disc . . ."

As the women closed in, Ellie gulped.

"I'm _really _sorry about this . . ."

_HORK-SPLAT! HORK-SPLAT!_

Ellie coughed up two gobs of venom. The women held their eyes and fell to the ground. Ellie wiped her mouth and walked away as they began to giggle and sing.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Out of my way, OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Dr. Wu! We've had a perimeter breach!"

"I CAN _SEE _THAT!"

The guard shrunk away.

"We've called in all of the maintenance staff. We'll fix this as soon as possible," the other guard affirmed.

Wu examined the damage radius. This was no ordinary rampage . . .

"You said there were raptors?"

"Yeah, a half a dozen, at least!" the guard confirmed, nodding furiously,

"And they just ran off?"

"Yes."

"Without attacking?"

"Yes."

"And you've called everyone over to fix this?"

"Yeah, why?"

Suddenly, the remaining half of the fence crackled. The siren honked feebly, but faded into silence. One by one, the lights began to turn off with a clanking sound. Wu stared at the fence.

"You called everyone here? . . ."

"Everyone I could think of . . ."

"You called EVERYONE here?!" Wu repeated.

A white flare hissed above the Visitors' Center. At the peak of its parabola, it erupted into bright red fragments, which twinkled brightly in the morning sky.

Wu picked up the worker by his coat and shook him.

"IF EVERYONE IS HERE, WHO'S GUARDING THE COMPOUND?"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan watched as Ellie set off the flare. As soon as it burst, he turned around and addressed his troops.

"There's the signal! Dilophosaurs, at the ready!"

Down in the compound, the loudspeakers crackled with static.

'Attention, all staff!' Ellie's voice echoed through the field, 'This is a theropod insurrection. We have the facility surrounded. Those who evacuate to the hotel lobby will not be harmed. Should you choose to stay, we will be forced to capture you by any means necessary. You have five minutes to surrender.'

Alan stood at the ready. Behind him, the theropod army was chomping at the bit. The scarred raptor paced anxiously, flexing her leg muscles to keep warm. The other seven raptors waited behind her, nickering softly. They had morphed halfway into parrots for ease of communication, but they now began to shift to their battle-morphs. It was a good thing, too, or Alan wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.

"How much longer?" the scarred raptor asked.

"Two minutes," Alan replied.

A blue-gray raptor stepped forward. He watched as the ant-sized people scurried towards the hotel.

"You're Kibble, right?"

"Kipper," the scarred raptor interjected (because he was not half macaw, Kipper couldn't answer for himself).

"Right. Are you a good flyer?"

He nodded.

"Good. Because I have a job for you . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Wu stormed across the field with a dozen scientists in tow. When he reached his jeep, he practically stabbed the ignition with his keys. They snapped in half. His employees looked at him with concern.

"Dr. Wu . . . Do you think- just hypothetically, mind you- that we should have left with the others?" a man asked.

Wu glared at him.

"Coward! Would you betray us?"

The man squeaked.

"Um . . . No, no. Not really. But hypothetically . . ."

'Alright, everybody! Time's up!' Sattler's voice rang from the loudspeakers, 'From this point on, anyone found in the facility will be captured and incapacitated. You've been warned.'

Another flare sped across the sky. Through the smoke, a blue-gray raptor glided majestically through the air, holding a makeshift banner. The flag was, in fact, a pink shirt that had been tied to a branch by its sleeves, but the message was clear, nonetheless.

"Get to the control room!" Wu barked, "If you find Sattler, _kill her_!"

His scientists did a double-take.

"_Kill_ her?" one employee gasped, "_That's_ a bit extreme. All she did was break a fence and wave a pink flag . . ."

"Actually, it's a _salmon_ flag," another employee interrupted.

"You're _both_ wrong: it's _dusted tomato_!"

Wu slapped his forehead.

"Just _find_ her!"

Without warning, the sun was blotted out by hundreds of orange frills. Wu grabbed his clipboard and held it above his head. A shower of grey gunk splattered across the ground, covering most of the scientists with icky goo. They started rolling around and laughing like a bunch of drunkards. Wu dragged the unaffected individuals to the Visitors' Center.

This time, Sattler wouldn't get away so easily . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie spun around in her chair. She wasn't particularly good with computers, but luckily for her, someone had forgotten to log off of their account. Now that the fences were down, all she would have to do was wait.

'Ellie? Ellie? You there?' Alan asked through the walkie-talkie.

Ellie picked up the radio and held the side-button.

"Yep. I'm here. Is everything okay?"

'Yeah. Do you want me to send in the raptors?'

"Give it a few more minutes. I-"

_BAM, BAM, BAM!_

Ellie jumped.

"Hang on, Alan, I gotta deal with something . . ."

Wu stood outside the control room with a deep frown upon his face. He rapped his fist on the glass window to get Ellie's attention. She leaned back in her rolling chair and pushed herself across the room with her feet. When she came to the window, she smiled and waved.

"Dr. Sattler . . . I'm a little surprised to see you alive . . ."

She made a gesture to indicate that she couldn't hear him across the glass. He spoke louder.

"I'm not the 'bad guy', Dr. Sattler. I'm just doing my job."

"Yeah, but your job includes kidnapping baby dinosaurs, holding your guests hostage, and being a general asshole."

"So, the solution is to start a war? Is it _really _wise to help these monsters invade the compound? What have they done to deserve your trust?"

Ellie frowned.

"They aren't monsters: they're victims, and I'm helping them because they've been through a lot. It's called empathy. You should try it sometime."

Wu growled.

"You're trying my patience."

"So, surrender. This could all be over in a heartbeat."

"Surrender? To you? Never."

Ellie shook her head.

"You just don't get it, do you? This isn't about honor. I'm giving you the chance to not get your ass kicked."

Wu snorted.

"You underestimate me, Dr. Sattler . . ."

'Ellie? Is everything okay?'

She glided over to the table where her walkie-talkie was lying.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Wu finally showed up . . ."

'Is he mad?'

"What do YOU think?"

'Let me talk to him.'

Ellie set the radio to two-way conversation. She held it to the glass.

"Go ahead."

Alan cleared his throat.

'You've lost, Wu.'

"What makes you so sure?" he hissed.

'We have raptors stationed at every exit. You're surrounded.'

Wu laughed.

"Don't you think I _know_ that? I'm not a fool!"

"Then why are you locked out of every main laboratory in the building?" Ellie sniggered. Wu smiled.

"You _think_ I am . . ."

"Are you talking about the underground lab?" Ellie asked, "I saw it on the computer screen, but I can't access it without your permission. Is _that_ where you're keeping the machine?"

Wu looked startled.

"You KNOW about that?"

'Loose lips sink ships,' Alan mumbled.

"Robin . . ." Wu growled.

"Right you are. Now, surrender," Ellie said calmly.

Wu chuckled malevolently.

"Oh, Ellie. You shouldn't have locked us out . . ."

"Why not?" she asked playfully.

"Because now you have nowhere to run."

"Run? From whom? You can't get in here . . ."

"I don't have to. Two of my staff were locked in with you."

"You're bluffing . . ."

"Not at all. They're up in the digital tower."

"They can't let you in. I reset the password . . ."

Wu smiled and turned away from the glass.

"I hope you're in the mood for a little rendezvous, Dr. Sattler. I have a friend of yours waiting on the other side of the lab."

'What's he talking about, Ellie?' Alan asked through the radio.

"There is a way to trigger the post-mortem reaction before death . . ." Wu sneered.

"Doesn't that make the name contradictory?" Ellie asked. Wu frowned.

"Be that as it may, I highly doubt that you'll be in any state to question my choice of words when you're being ripped to shreds by your best friend . . ."

'What's he talking about, Ellie?' Alan repeated.

At that very moment, a deep rumbling came from the other side of the lab.

Ellie gulped.

"Goodbye, Dr. Sattler . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Ellie? Ellie! What's going on?" Alan barked as he jogged through the Visitors' Center. There was no reply from the radio. The scarred raptor trotted behind him.

"Something's gone wrong . . ."

Alan nodded.

"We're gonna have to go in after her."

"But the doors are locked!"

Alan kicked open an air vent.

"Who needs doors?"

The raptor peered inside.

"I don't think I'll fit . . ."

"Fine. I'll go alone. Make sure that no raptor leaves his or her post. If you see Wu, have the gang of seven round him up. I don't want to take any chances . . ."

Alan slid through the vent. The scarred raptor watched as he crawled into the darkness.

"I have a bad feeling about this . . ." she mumbled.

Alan didn't really know where he was going. He was now inside the facility's ceiling, which was not a location he had ever planned to revisit. Occasionally, he would peek through the grating to see if he was headed in the right direction. Finally, he saw something that looked like a computer. He pushed the ceiling tile to the side and lowered himself onto a desk. When he stepped down, a hand clamped around his mouth. Ellie dragged him under a table.

"What are you _doing_ here?" she whispered.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Are we hiding from something?"

Ellie nodded.

"Yes. Be quiet."

They sat and listened. A muffled sound came from across the room. It was like purring, only a lot deeper and a _hell_ of a lot scarier.

"What _is_ it?" Alan asked.

"Giant raptor," Ellie replied brusquely.

"Have you tried talking to it?"

Ellie shook her head.

"There's something _off_ about the way it acts. It doesn't speak _at all_."

"Why not?"

Ellie shrugged.

"I don't know. The only_ other_ time this happened was with . . ."

"What?"

". . . was with the allosaurus. Do you remember how stupid it was?"

"I wasn't really paying attention . . ."

"Shhh!"

They moved deeper into the shadows as two clawed feet appeared in front of them. The sickle-claws clicked against the floor like high heels. Alan squeezed Ellie's hand. The creature paused nearby, but continued walking.

"Ellie . . . morph into a compsognathus."

"What? Why?"

"We need to get a good look at this thing. If we work together, we might be able to knock it out . . ."

"Good idea."

Ellie began to shrink, but as she did, she emitted a bright light.

"Shit! I glow!" she said, interrupting the transformation.

The creature snarled. Apparently, he had seen the flash.

"Oh god! Run,_ run_!" Alan shouted.

They scrambled out from under the table. The giant raptor squealed and ran after them.

As they pushed past the rolling chairs, Ellie looked over her shoulder. The dinosaur was black, with grey speckles along its back. It was covered in quills from head to tail. It looked like a peppered porcupine . . .

'RRRUUURH!'

The creature swung its tail. A shower of quills zoomed across the room. A large needle pierced Ellie's shoulder. She screamed and clutched the place where it had been embedded. Alan stopped running.

"Oh, _NOW_ I'm angry!"

He grabbed a chair and ran towards the dinosaur. The giant raptor watched as Ellie fell to the ground. Suddenly, it shook its head like it was clearing a migraine.

'Ellie?'

"Aaaaaaaaargh!"

Alan clobbered the raptor with the chair. It fell on its side and kicked its legs in the air.

'Ah! Ooh! Ouch! WHAT THE HELL, ALAN? Stop it!'

Ellie frowned.

"Wait, Alan! Stop punching him!" she gasped.

'Listen to the woman! For god's sake, stop- ACHCHCH!"

Alan strangled the raptor with both hands. The animal thrashed around and choked noisily.

"Alan, stop!"

"What?"

"Don't hurt him!"

"Why not?"

"It's Ian!"

Alan paused.

"What? . . ."

'Choking! Must breathe . . .'

". . . It's Ian," Ellie repeated.

Alan let go of Ian's throat. He stood up slowly.

"Sorry, Ian."

'Apology NOT accepted. What the hell-'

As Ian pointed, he stared at his claws. He peeked over his shoulder and did a little twirl.

'Um . . . Guys? . . .'

"Do you have amnesia, Ian?" Ellie asked.

'Well, I don't know why I'm a goddamn dinosaur, if that's what you're asking . . .'

"What's he saying?" Alan asked.

'Can't he understand me?'

"No. But I can. I guess your dialect must be similar to velociraptor. Then again, it might have something to do with _this_ . . ." she grunted as she pulled out his quill. Ian looked at the quill and then at his tail.

'Did I . . . Did I do that?'

"Mmmhm," Ellie hummed, rubbing the red area around the wound.

'Oh, no! . . . Ellie, I'm so sorry . . .'

"It's alright. We'll find some rubbing alcohol," she said as she took off her labcoat.

'I didn't mean to- I don't remember-'

"It's fine, Ian."

Ellie shivered as the cold laboratory air ran over her bare shoulders. Luckily for her, it was hard to see that she was bleeding against the red tank top.

The scarred raptor tapped on the glass. Ian jumped back in fright.

"It's okay, Ian. She's with us," Alan explained.

'Whaaat?'

"We're leading a theropod revolution," Ellie explained.

'WHAAAT?'

"I can't understand him. Ellie?"

"Here, maybe_ this_ will help . . ."

She pulled a blue feather out of her jeans pocket and rubbed it against Ian's side. He twitched a little.

'You trying to tickle me to death?'

"Think about a macaw's vocal cords."

'That's a weirdly specific thing to say . . .'

"Just do it."

Ian paused.

"Okay, now what? . . ."

"Hey, I can understand him!" Alan said, clapping his hands.

"Great! Now we can add '_cunning linguist_' to your resume . . ."

"Aaaaaand I immediately regret being able to hear him," Alan huffed, "A quiet Ian is a rare thing . . ."

"He WAS rather tran-_quill_, wasn't he?" Ellie quipped. Ian snuffed.

"Oh, haha. Very funny."

"I thought it was _uh_-mazing!" Alan chuckled.

"Maybe I should poke your eye out!"

"Stop your fighting, boys," Ellie sighed, "We have a war to win."

Ian stepped past Ellie.

"Ahem. We've got company."

An old man and a rotund woman were trying to sneak out the back door. When they noticed that they had been caught, they stood up straight and smiled innocently.

"Going somewhere?" Ellie asked angrily.

"Wait! I can explain! This isn't what it looks like!" the woman stuttered.

"A likely story . . ." Ellie mumbled.

"Alright, Doc, you'd better start talking . . ." Ian growled. The doctor stepped back.

"Zhere ees a cure for your condeetion, Meester Malcolm."

"Go on . . ."

"Vhee can admeeneester the anteedote vhen vhee get to Wu's laboratoree . . ."

"Good, good. So you'll take us there?" Ian asked.

"No. But vhee vhill be runninck avay now . . ."

Suddenly, a slew of guards burst through the newly-opened doors.

"She turned off the locks!" Ellie gasped.

"Your password was 'velociraptor'. It wasn't that hard . . ." the woman cackled.

'Hang on, Ellie!'

The scarred raptor and her gang of seven pushed through the guards. They managed to knock out a few men before being shot with tranquilizers. Ian was also shot, but he still took down a few guards with his quills (which apparently caused paralysis in the unvaccinated men) before fainting. Ellie and Alan were captured soon after.

Lance, who was not yet unconscious, snapped at the doctor.

'Oh, no. Not on my watch! Leave- my friends- alone . . .'

He swayed a little, then collapsed.

"Shhh. Try to get some sleep," the doctor said malevolently.

"Don't hurt them . . ." Ellie whispered.

"Oh, vheel be keepinck you togezher. You'll rot in our preeson while vhee open zhee portal . . ."

"No . . . No, the Troödon said that that's a _very_ bad idea . . ." Ellie pressed, "Please, for everyone's sake, _don't do it_."

"I eentend to go through weeth my plan. Soon, I vheel be zhee most respected scienteest in any deemension . . . and zhere's nothinck you or anyone else can do to stop me!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

They were thrown into a cramped holding pen when each and every one of them had been captured. The theropods had retreated, and those who had been guarding the hotel fled as well. Now, everyone at InGen was laughing at Ellie, who had come up with a silly, terrible, destined-to-fail idea and, in doing so, had doomed the velociraptors to an even worse fate. As she curled up with Alan against a sleeping Ian, she couldn't help but cry a little.

"I've screwed everything up, haven't I?"

Alan squeezed her harder.

"No, you haven't. You tried your best . . ."

"To do what? Lead a revolution? I'm not a _war hero_, Alan. I'm just _me_ . . ."

'Well, I think you were _fantastic_ . . .' Kipper said drowsily. Ellie gave a sad smile. When he rolled over, however, Ellie's smile dissolved into a frown.

"Kipper, you're bleeding . . ."

He turned his head and examined a long slash that sliced his back all the way down his spine. He chuffed.

'What, this? Nah. It's just a scratch.'

Ellie sniffed and hugged his neck. He purred in solace.

"Uuurgh . . ."

"Ian? You awake? Are you hurt?" Ellie asked.

Alan let go of Ellie and set Ian's head straight.

"How is he?"

"Auntie Em! Auntie Em! I had the strangest dream . . ."

"He'll live."

"I'm guessing they captured us?" Ian asked.

"Yup," Alan grunted.

"Hm. _That_ went well!"

Alan was about to reproach Ian for his insensitive remark, but the other raptors began to come back to life.

'Agh! Someone bopped me on the head . . .' Crusher moaned.

"Oh hey! I can kind of understand him!" Ian babbled, 'Donde esta raptors por favor?'

'Hey, watch it!' Lance growled.

"What's he saying?" Alan asked.

'They're arguing,' Ellie replied.

"In English, please," Alan clarified.

"Sorry. I forget sometimes . . ."

'Where we at?' Bucky drawled.

"We're prisoners . . ." Ellie replied.

'You know, it'd be easier to speak raptor-'

"I KNOW!" Ellie screamed.

Everyone flinched. They watched with wide eyes as she stood up and placed herself in the corner of the room.

"I know . . ." she repeated.

Ellie pressed her head into the corner and started sobbing. Alan stood up and held her shoulders.

"It's okay, it's okay . . ."

"No, no, _no_! It's _NOT _okay! This is all my fault! I've killed us all!"

Ian stood up.

"We were dead from the moment we set foot on this island. At least you gave us a shot."

"And_ look_ where I _got_ us! I shouldn't have tried to do something so _stupid_ . . ."

Ellie slid down against the wall and put her head in her arms. The raptors gathered around her sadly. Soon, they formed a saurian group-hug.

Ellie sniffed.

"Well, I guess this is the end . . ."

"Oh, cheer up, Ellie," the scarred raptor cooed, "At least we're together."

Ellie nodded.

"Yeah. I guess you're right. If I'm gonna die, I want to die with my friends. And also Ian."

"Hey!"

Ellie laughed.

"I'm just kidding. And I really _am _sorry that I dragged you into this . . ."

"Naw, it's fine," Ian said with a shrug, "It's not like I could go home like this, anyway, though I'll bet Sarah would be _thrilled_ . . ."

Ellie nodded sadly.

"I guess you could at least say that you died a hero."

"This might even be better than the puppy story . . . Wait, so are we going to _die_? Like, _for sure_?"

Ellie shrugged.

"Well, yeah. Unless someone can conjure up a miracle . . ."

'PEE-PEE-TSOOOOOOOOOH!'

The wall exploded. When the dust cleared, a very dizzy-looking allosaurus stepped into the room.

'Note to self: InGen walls are harder than they look . . .'

Ellie stood with her mouth agape.

"_Robin_?! . . ."

'Who'dya expect? The great pumpkin? Ack, that wall was thick . . .'

She shook her head and sneezed.

'Oh, hey! You found my tank top! Keep it. It looks better on you anyway. Also, I'm a dinosaur.'

Ellie nodded.

"Uh-huh. How did _that_ happen?"

'Post-mortem reaction. It's kind of a funny story . . .'

Another allosaurus stepped across the rubble.

'Everything alright?'

"Can someone _please_ explain to me what's going on?" Alan asked. Robin giggled and sprouted red feathers.

"Right, I forgot that you can't understand me . . ."

"Should we tell them?" the other allosaurus asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Go ahead . . ." Robin chirped.

"Okay, so-"

"So, it turns out that the allosaurus who attacked me was actually Yannick!" Robin interrupted, "The mad doctor did some sort of-"

"-experiment on me, and I didn't remember-"

"-who he was, so when he killed me-"

"-I got my memories back because-"

"-he was so horrified with his actions. But luckily-"

"-I bit off Robin's dysprosium bracelet and-"

"-I became an allosaurus. Shortly after, Yannick-"

"-helped her remember who she was, and we found out that we actually shared-"

"-a lot of common interests, and-"

"-we got to know each other, so-"

"-now we're dinosaur-married!"

Ellie, who had been listening to their anecdote with wide eyes, stepped forward.

"Dinosaur-married?" she echoed.

"Yeah. It's like regular-married, only we're dinosaurs," Robin explained.

"Uh-huh . . . And how exactly did you _find _us?"

Robin smiled.

"Actually, we were called over by a friend of yours . . ."

She stepped aside to reveal Charlie, who stood humbly by her ankles. He pattered over and hopped into Alan's arms.

"Did I do good?"

Alan laughed.

"Good? _Good_? Charlie, you did _fantastic_!"

Alan, Charlie, and Ellie shared a hug.

"Awww! That's so sweet!" Robin gushed, "But the celebration will have to wait. We have a war to win!"

Ellie frowned.

"But how-"

"You didn't think we came _alone_, did you?"

Suddenly, the collective roar of several large theropods rumbled through the Visitors' Center. Ellie gave a giddy laugh and hugged Robin's leg.

"That's not _all_!" Robin bubbled, "We found a couple of old friends wandering about in The North. Turns out, there are _dozens _of former staff who've been transmorphigated by the PMR . . ."

Three raptors stepped into the room. One was covered in nasty-looking scars, another had dark blotches across its body, and the last was missing his right arm. Robin pointed to them one by one.

"This is Oscar Morales, former mercenary, current velociraptor. Ray Arnold, computer technician, mysteriously armless. Robert Muldoon, former game warden who is not, in fact, the thirty-first prime minister of New Zealand."

"I still don't understand why that caused so much confusion . . ." Muldoon mumbled.

"Oh my god. Oh my god . . ." Ellie whispered.

"Yeah, we're alive. Don't look so surprised," Mr. Arnold laughed.

"I . . . I found your arm . . ." Ellie blathered. He looked down at the stub on his right shoulder.

"Yeah, I kind of miss it. I can't say it'd be a good match anymore . . ."

"Don't worry about that," Robin said, "There's a cure for the PMR. But we need to find Wu first . . ."

"We'll never make it in time!" Crusher gasped, "He's probably _miles_ across the compound by now, and he has access to the door locks . . ."

"Leave the locks to me," Mr. Arnold said, sitting down at a computer, "It's been a while, but I think I remember this system . . ."

His claws pierced the keyboard.

"Shit . . ."

Robin rolled her eyes.

"Alright, while Ray finds another computer, we'll exit from the back and take Wu by surprise. The underground lab is connected to the emergency bunker, so he won't be expecting-"

She looked around.

"What? You think I'd come here without a plan?"

"Robin, this is going to be very dangerous," Yannick said uneasily, "I don't want you to get hurt . . ."

"Says the guy who, uh, tried to beat her to a pulp a couple of days ago . . ." Ian grumbled. Yannick growled, but Ellie stood between them.

"Look, we're going to have to work together if we want to win this thing. Just like before, remember?"

"Yeah! How hard can it be?" Bucky bubbled.

"Don't jinx it!" Rocky said nervously.

Ellie turned to her raptor friends.

"Sorry, guys, but you'll have to sit this one out. Go back to camp and make sure that the wounded are taken care of."

"But-"

"No buts," the scarred raptor said, "Ellie and I are going in _alone_."

Ellie cringed.

"Actually-"

The scarred raptor held up her claw.

"Let me rephrase that. If you don't let me come along, I'll cut out your spleen."

Ellie nodded.

"Fair enough. The rest of you, go home."

"And take Charlie . . ." Alan said, placing him on the ground.

"No. I'll circle the sky. You need my help."

"Charlie, no. You're going to get hurt . . ."

Charlie's feathers bristled.

"I won't! Nobody suspects the parrot . . ."

Ellie crouched down.

"Charlie, you've done well. Go home. Be safe."

Charlie scowled, but nodded. Ellie smiled and stood up.

"Alright. Before we go, are there any objections?"

Ian snorted.

"Nah. What's the _worst_ that could happen?"

"What have we got to _lose_?" Alan added.

"What are we _waiting_ for?" Yannick said with a grin.

"What are- Shit, you guys took the good ones . . ." Robin whined. Ellie smiled.

"I take it we're ready?"

Robin gave a triumphant roar.

"I was _born_ ready!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Once they were outside, the gang noticed Richthofen and Trixie running through the field. Robin growled and pawed at the ground.

"Hang on, guys. I have some unfinished business."

She stormed across the meadow and roared.

When they heard Robin approaching, Trixie and Richthofen ran like two-legged bunnies. It was a futile effort, as Robin was going over thirty clicks. Finally, she cornered them.

"Hello, Trixie . . ." she spat.

"R-Robin? Is this some kind of _sick joke_?!"

"No. The only joke _here_ is your hairdo."

Trixie patted her perm self-consciously.

"You feelthee reptile!" Richthofen sputtered.

"You say that like it's a _bad_ thing . . ." Robin cooed, "But in all seriousness, you've done some pretty nasty things to my friends and my dinosaur-husband. So, I highly recommend that you apologize to them before I swallow you whole."

"WHAT?!" Trixie gasped.

"You heard me, ya' lacquer-plated bimbo!"

Trixie gulped.

"I'm sorry . . ."

Robin nodded.

"Very good. Lars?"

"Don't be callinck me zhat . . ."

"I'll call you whatever I want, p'tit moufette morveuse . . ."

"Vhat?"

Robin growled.

"Apologize!" Trixie shrieked.

"NEIN!"

Richthofen darted away. Before Robin could catch him, he dove into the forest. The trees were too thick to allow an allosaurus safe passage.

"Ah, shit! He got away."

Robin turned to leave, but a shrill scream came from the jungle. Before they knew what was happening, there was a sound of snapping branches. Richthofen was catapulted through the air like a dead cow.

"AIYAIYAIYAIYAI!"

They watched as he landed in a conveniently-placed pile of brachiosaurus manure.

"That is one big-"

"Shut up, Ian," everyone said.

Morton and Penelope trotted out of the forest.

"I guess no one told him that Moreton Bay Fig Trees have elastic branches . . ." Morton said smugly. Ellie laughed. She was about to say something witty, but a loud crackle suddenly buzzed across the field.

"Oh, no! He's started up the machine!" Trixie gasped.

"_What_?!" Robin gasped, "He can't _do_ that! Not after what happened last time . . ."

"Don't act so _innocent_, Robin! You went though the holes too!" Trixie spat.

"At this point, I could mention your little shellac escapade, but I'll be the bigger person. Dinosaur. Whatever."

Ellie stepped between them.

"Again, stop fighting. We need to stop Wu before he does something crazy. If the Troödon were telling the truth, he could destroy us all . . ."

"You saw the Troödon? Well, shit!" Robin grumbled, "Why do _you_ get to have all the adventures? All_ I_ did was have hot, steamy, dinosaur s-"

"BOUNDARIES!" Ian shrieked, plugging his ears.

"Right, so let's go _stop_ him!" Robin finished. Ellie nodded.

"Mr. Morales, can you guard Trixie?" Ellie asked.

"No problem. It'll be easy," the raptor said with a brief salute.

The rest of the gang trotted away, but not before Robin gave Trixie one last sardonic smile.

"Just for the record, I _love _my VHS."

And thus, the cavalry charged towards the underground lab.


	23. Overworld

"You know, I never got to thank you for saving my life . . ." Ellie said as she sprinted beside Muldoon.

"Think nothing of it. I only wish I could have finished off a couple of raptors for you."

Ellie shrugged.

"I guess it all worked out in the end, though I can't imagine why the T-Rex would suddenly acquire a taste for velociraptor . . ."

She slowed down and pulled out a taser.

"Speaking of which, I had better get ready for the battle . . ."

She closed her eyes and brought the taser closer to her arm. The energy made her hair stand up on end.

Alan hopped over nervously.

"Ellie, wait . . ."

She sighed.

"It's the only way . . ."

_CRACK!_

The taser exploded in her hand. A decrepit-looking man with a grey mustache reloaded his gun.

"_Stan_?" Robin gasped, "The sanitation man?!"

He aimed the gun at Ellie.

"It's time to take out the trash . . ."

'CRAW!'

A blue macaw swiped its talons across his face. Stan grabbed his bleeding eyes and screamed.

"I _told _you you needed my help . . ." Charlie chirped as he flew by.

"Aaargh!"

Charlie made another dive. Stan reached desperately for his gun. Charlie grabbed it and tried to carry it away.

'CRAW!'

As he flew by, Stan grabbed his tail.

'AWK!'

Charlie demorphed as Stan threw him to the ground. Ellie dashed over and cradled Charlie in her arms. Stan cocked his gun.

'SCREEEEEEEEE!'

A raptor attacked him from behind. He shot his gun madly in the air as he was dragged across the ground by his other arm. Ellie grabbed Charlie and ran to safety.

After a brief fight, the raptor slashed Stan across the belly. He fell to the ground, holding his own intestines in his hand. The raptor stumbled away from his body woozily.

'Chieftain!' the scarred raptor gasped.

The chieftain staggered towards her son, but collapsed halfway. She had been shot.

'No!' Charlie wailed.

Ellie rushed over and tore off the bottom of her pantleg. She wrapped it around the bullet wound, but it was no use. The scarred raptor dashed over and lay by the chieftain's side.

'Hold on . . . Just hold on . . .'

The chieftain looked around with glazed eyes.

'Take . . . my son. The raptors are yours. Don't let anything happen . . . happen to them.'

She coughed up blood. Ellie put her hand on the raptor's side.

'Wasn't . . . fair fight. You won. We have . . . a new chieftain.'

She closed her eyes and lay very still. Charlie hung his head and whimpered. Ellie scooped him up and carried him over to Morton and Penelope. The scarred raptor followed.

'Ellie . . .'

'I know. You'll get him back when this is over. For now, I need your help. You're the new chieftain, after all . . .'

The scarred raptor turned her head.

'She wasn't-'

'Look, it was her dying wish. You'd better roll with it. Morton, Penelope: take Charlie home.'

The scarred raptor dug her claws into the ground.

'But she wasn't-'

'You heard what she said,' Ellie asserted.

'BUT SHE WASN'T-'

'C'mon, guys. We'd better stop Wu before he hurts anyone else.'

As they moved out, the scarred raptor sighed. She couldn't help but feel that Ellie knew exactly what the chieftain meant.

***_TSJPFEW_***

From his perch on the catwalk, Wu watched the machine come to life. The half-moon blades began to accelerate in different directions, eventually creating a glowing sphere at the center of the podium. Bolts of electricity crackled around the orb as it hummed. This was going to be one hell of a show.

_BAM!_

The doors rattled under the impact of some unseen force.

_BAM!_

The metal became slightly dented.

_BAM!_

An allosaurus burst through the doors like a battering ram.

"Oh, geez . . ." she drawled, "Imma have to lie down. How do pachycephalosaurs _do_ this?"

"Robin . . ." Wu hissed.

She wagged her tail.

"Surprise!"

She kicked a group of scientists to the side and skipped across the lab.

"Impossible!" Wu spat, "You _died_! And you were wearing a dysprosium band!"

She smiled.

"Nope! . . . Er, nope to the second question, I mean. Anyway, I guess you can say that I'm about to be '_Robin_' your banks!"

"WHAT?"

Robin giggled.

"Oh, don't worry. We _all _have puns prepared."

Ellie stepped through the doorway.

"I hope you've studied for your 'Ell-Satts'!"

Alan joined her.

"Because we're about to 'Grant' you admission!"

Ian slid in on his claws.

"Forgot your pen? Here, take a QUILL!"

He launched his spikes at Wu's employees, who scattered like cockroaches.

"Fools! We outnumber them!" Wu roared.

"Yeah, but do you have teeth or claws?" Yannick snarled, "I don't_ think_ so . . ."

Wu laughed. He began quietly, but eventually burst into a full-out cackle. The gang watched him angrily.

"Well, if it isn't our band of intrepid heroes. Have you come to save the day?"

"Give it up, Wu! You're alone, outnumbered, and defeated," Alan hissed.

"I don't think so . . ."

Wu began to type commands into his keyboard.

"You'll never get away with this!" Robin growled. Wu smiled.

"Watch me."

"Does anyone else think he should have said 'I already have'? No? Just a thought," Ian sighed.

"Prepare to be sent beyond the realms of time and space . . ." Wu chuckled.

"Shit! Everybody, duck!" Robin bellowed.

The machine crackled with electricity. Gradually, seven strings of energy wove out of the sphere like smoke and enveloped each member of the gang. They screamed as they were sucked into the depths of the orb.

"Goodbye . . ." Wu sneered.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan sat up and rubbed his head. He had landed in the middle of a lawn somewhere (the area appeared to be a suburban neighborhood, though something was a little off about it), but he couldn't even begin to guess where his current location might be. He began to worry when he noticed that the world around him was devoid of color. Before he could wonder whether he had hit his head too hard, a blonde girl skipped over and smiled sweetly.

"Oh, someone new to play with. What good luck I have lately. I was just starting to get bored. Oh, we're going to have so much fun!"

"Errr . . ." Alan began.

"Let's play a game! First, you need to make Timmy Neusbaum cry!" she said pleasantly.

"What? I'm not going to make someone _cry_!" Alan barked.

Suddenly, the little girl's voice dropped an octave.

"If you want answers, you will make Timmy Neusbaum cry!" she growled in a thick german accent.

Alan jumped back.

"Geez!"

"Do it."

Alan sighed and stomped across the grass. The last thing he needed was _two _angry german scientists on his case . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie shivered. Her lower half was stuck in a pile of fluffy snow.

"Great . . ." she murmured.

Ellie pushed down on the snow with her hands and wiggled her legs. Once she had freed herself from the snowdrift, Ellie stood up and brushed herself off. She was on a snowy mountain, but there was no sign of her friends.

"Alan? . . ." she called.

"Who's Alan?"

Ellie shrieked and jumped back.

"Ooh! Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

A living snowman waddled out from behind the snowdrift.

"Oh my god . . . Oh my god . . ." Ellie whispered.

"Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

He flourished his arms expectantly. Ellie gulped and shook his hand (which was really more of a stick).

"I'm Ellie Sattler . . . I like plants . . ."

The snowman smiled and did a little dance.

"Cool! I don't think you'll see many plants here: it's kind of wintery, hee hee!"

Ellie nodded. This was so _weird_ . . .

"Uh-huh. And where _is _'here'? . . ."

The snowman pointed to a large castle at the base of the mountain.

"This is the beautiful kingdom of Arendelle!" he said cheerfully.

"Great! A city! Can you take me there?" Ellie asked.

"Sure! Follow me!"

He slid over a hill and skipped merrily down the mountain, leaving a deep trail in the white powder. Ellie trudged through the snow miserably, hoping that none of her friends were stuck in this cold weather.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ian spat out a mouthful of sand. He coughed and rubbed his tongue with his claws.

"Blech!"

He shook his head and looked around. He was in the middle of a village that mostly consisted of humbly-decorated bumps in the sand (which appeared to be buildings). Strange creatures roamed the streets, speaking in unfamiliar tongues and dialects.

Ian gawked as a winged tapir fluttered by.

"Eh, watch it! Filthy Ssi-ruu!"

Ian frowned. This place was very familiar. If he didn't know any better, he'd swear that he was in a Star Wars movie. But that was impossible. Something about this place didn't quite seem like the series he had grown up with . . .

"_Yararah_!"

An orange bunny-lizard crashed into Ian. He snarled as the creature wobbled around on elephant-like feet.

"Oh, mesa sorry! Mesa didn't see yous!" he babbled.

"Didn't see- Didn't SEE me? I'm twenty feet tall!" Ian growled.

"Mesa sorry! Please don't be a' hurtin' mees!"

Ian plugged his ears.

"I won't! I won't! You're, uh, really quite grating, you know . . ."

"Yousa very honest . . ." the creature gurgled.

"Yeah, yeah. Run along!" Ian said dismissively.

"Bye-bye!" the creature said brightly, bobbing its head as it walked away.

"Yeesh . . ." Ian gasped, "I don't think I like this world . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robin shook her head.

"Yannick, darling, did we end up in the same dimension?"

No reply.

"Oh, no! We must have landed in separate worlds!"

She looked around.

"Hm. This looks like the 80's. I'd better find a way out of here."

She padded through an empty parking lot.

"Well, at least I'm not stuck at some other InGen . . ." she sighed.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Yannick groaned. He had hit his head really, _really_ hard. If it weren't for his thick dinosaur skull, he might have painted the walls with grey matter. Speaking of which, what kind of a building had such pale walls to begin with? It seemed to be some kind of laboratory, but there wasn't any equipment around . . .

'Hello.'

. . . except for a dangerous weapon.

Yannick ducked out of sight as the machine fired a hail of bullets. When he was safely hidden, Yannick peeked around the corner. His attacker was a little egg-shaped robot that stood on three legs and scanned the area with a red laser.

'Sentry mode activated . . .'

Yannick backed away. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't very friendly.

He turned another corner and walked through a circular door, which led to a glass elevator. Once he had squished himself inside (which was no easy feat for an allosaurus), the elevator brought him to a lower level. He stepped out and sniffed the air.

"Yuck . . ."

A bubbling lake of greenish-brown goo sizzled beneath the platform on which he was stationed. _That_ couldn't be safe . . .

'Hello.'

Yannick jumped back as another egg-robot scanned him with the laser. It didn't shoot.

'I'm different . . .'

"_Sure_ you are, sweetie . . ."

Yannick picked it up and placed it on a strange-looking floor panel. Without warning, it was launched through the air like a rogue UFO.

'Wheeeeeeeee!'

It landed on the other side of the moat with a gentle clatter.

"Cool . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robert Muldoon was stuck inside a cake. While it was very delicious (and strawberry-flavored), he didn't particularly want his obituary to read "suffocation by icing". He wiggled until he felt someone tug on his tail. Suddenly, he was yanked out of the dessert.

"Hiya! I've never seen _you_ before . . ."

He screamed. A fluffy, pink pony was bouncing up and down in front of him.

"WHAT THE _HELL_ ARE _YOU_?"

"I'm Pinkie Pie!" she giggled, "What's your name?"

"Robert Muldoon. Where _am_ I?"

"Ponyville!"

She waved her hoof in the air cheerfully. Hundreds of pastel-colored ponies trotted through the streets on happy little hooves. Robert thought he might faint.

"Ponies . . . Ponies everywhere . . ." he whimpered.

"Haven't you ever seen a pony before?" she squeaked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"No. I mean, yes. But not _these_ ponies. This is crazy . . ."

"You sure aren't a _pony_, mister. What _are _you, anyway?" she asked, examining his tail.

"Velociraptor. Well, actually-"

"I've never heard of _that_ before . . ." she mused.

"Well, I'd better get going . . ." he said, licking the frosting off his back. She stepped in front of him and held up a hoof.

"HANG ON, BUSTER! You can't leave until I give you a proper welcome . . ."

"I'm fine, thanks . . ."

"Welcome, welcome, welcome! A fine welcome to you . . ." she sang.

This was definitely a bad place to be.

***_TSJPFEW_***

The scarred raptor was getting frustrated. She had spent the last few minutes trying to get information out of a brawny buffoon, and he didn't seem to be very helpful.

"Alright, so if I help you find this . . ."

"Sarah Connor."

"Right. So if I help you find this friend of yours, you'll get me home, right?"

He gave a single nod.

"Good. So I'll just take a look up in the sky . . ."

She donned her albatross morph and soared above the rooftops.

"I don't see anyone . . ." she shouted, "Was she nearby when you lost her?"

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light down below. When the scarred raptor landed, she saw that her companion had been run over by a silver car. The side door opened, and Robin hopped out cheerfully.

"Oh, cool! I found you. Listen, we gotta round up the others . . ."

"What have you _done_? What_ is_ this ghastly apparatus?"

Robin looked offended.

"You don't recognize it? Ack, raptors are _so_ uncultured! This is a DeLorean. In fact, it's _the_ DeLorean. Don't you watch any movies?"

"Not many."

"Ack! Well, it turns out I landed in a very convenient place. With a little fiddling, I managed to break through the dimensional barrier with the flux capacitor . . ."

She pulled a three-pronged light out of the car.

" . . . and now we can use this baby to find the others . . ."

The scarred raptor stood with her mouth agape. Robin frowned.

"What? Why does everybody think I'm stupid just because I'm an idiot? . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan was having no luck with his quest. He didn't really want to make the kid upset, so he had searched the neighborhood for some other way to make him cry. Apparently, onions weren't on the menu in crazy-town.

"Hi there. I'm Timmy."

Alan rubbed his brow.

"I _know_ you're Timmy. You've _said_ that a million times . . ."

"Wanna buy some lemonade?"

"No. I don't have any money. Please leave me alone."

"Hi there. I'm Timmy."

Alan sighed.

"Look, kid. Can you help me find my friends?"

"Do they live around here?"

"No, no. Definitely not. Some of them are dinosaurs . . ."

"Dinosaurs?"

"Yeah, you know . . . velociraptors."

"So you're looking for big lizards?"

Alan frowned.

"They're more like big birds . . ."

The boy giggled.

"You don't find that scary? Try to imagine yourself in the Cretaceous Period . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Olaf skipped through the trees with Ellie close behind.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked innocently.

Ellie shivered.

"It's awfully cold . . . I suppose you don't mind, though, being a snowman and all . . ."

"Nnnope!"

"So what happens when summer comes? Do you melt like regular snowmen?"

"What's summer?" he asked, lacing his fingers together.

"It's a season. You know. Where everything gets warm and sunny . . ." she explained.

"That sounds cool!"

"Or hot!" Ellie laughed.

"Ellieeeeeeeee!"

They stopped walking.

"Did you hear something?" Ellie asked.

"ELLIEEEEEEEEE!"

A gleeful allosaurus was sledding down the mountain with a very frightened-looking velociraptor on her back.

"Robin!"

"Yay! More friends!" Olaf bubbled.

Ellie jumped to the side as Robin tumbled past, landing directly on Olaf. The snowman was violently disassembled under her weight.

"_Holy shit_!" Ellie gasped.

Robin stood up.

"Sorry!"

Olaf picked up his top half and placed it on his posterior.

"I think I need a minute to pull myself together! Heehee!"

"Robin, what's going on?" Ellie asked.

"I found a way to cross dimensions. Once we find the others, we'll be able to return to the lab."

"Great! Thanks for your help, Olaf! I can take it from here . . ."

He giggled.

"Okay! See ya later!"

He waved goodbye as the trio disappeared into another world.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Roll out the party canon for a special welcome _BOOM_! Welcome, welcome, welcome to our good friend Rob Muldoon . . ."

"You've been singing for half an hour . . ." Robert moaned.

"He fell into our birthday cake, this raptor friend of mine! He's-"

_ZAP!_

Robin, Ellie, and the scarred raptor appeared in front of him.

"THANK GOD! TAKE ME HOME!"

Pinkie held up her hoof.

"Wait! You didn't get-"

_ZAP!_

". . . a slice of cake."

***_TSJPFEW_***

The gang found Yannick suspended from a tangle of wires. As they approached him, he wiggled in an attempt to free himself.

"Robbie! You came back for me!" he cheered. Robin chomped down on a loose cable.

"Of course I did! What kind of a dinosaur-wife would I be if I left you?"

Ellie smiled.

"They're kind of cute together."

Muldoon snorted.

"I've had enough 'cute' to last me a lifetime. That pony gave me a candy-bracelet . . ."

He held up a pastel-colored chain with a pendant that read "Best Friends Forever". Ellie giggled.

"It's NOT funny!"

Yannick fell heavily to the ground.

"OOF! I told you to be gentle . . ."

Robin grinned.

"That's what-"

"OKAY, MOVING ON!" Ellie shouted.

***_TSJPFEW_***

After winning a hundred Druggats in a game of Digotto, Ian purchased a couple of Gorgs to snack on. They were a little icky, but Ian was very hungry.

_ZAP!_

"Holy shit!" he gasped.

"Ian! We've found a way to get back . . ." Ellie said quickly.

"Alright. Just let me say goodbye to those Twi'lek babes . . ."

"IAN!"

"Fine, fine . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

The gang found Alan in a strangely uncolored world. He was trying desperately to get a kid to stop crying.

"Alan!"

"Ellie!"

They hugged.

"What happened? Why is that kid crying?"

"I didn't mean to scare him, really! He's kind of a wimp . . ."

"You gave him your velociraptor lecture, didn't you?"

"Maybe . . ."

Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Alright, ya big lug. Come with us. We're going home."

***_TSJPFEW_***

After wandering through several dimensions, the gang stopped by a cafe and gas station.

"Robin, I think we're lost . . ." Ellie sighed. Robin bit her lip.

"I know. I've tried to locate our dimension by retracing my steps, but it's _really_ difficult."

"Well, how did you find all of us on the first go, then?" Ian asked grumpily.

"It might have something to do with the fact that we were all sucked in from one starting point. I guess we just need to function on trial-and-error . . ."

The scarred raptor growled.

"This _never_ would have happened if we had asked directions from that bald boy!"

Muldoon frowned.

"He was riding a giant, white buffalo. Does that seem _normal_ to you?"

"More normal than a yellow rabbit-mouse!" Yannick snarled.

"Hey! We couldn't let it zap Ellie . . ." Alan protested.

"Guys, guys! Calm down!" Robin whined pleadingly, "We need to be patient . . ."

Ian pawed at the ground.

"There _has _to be an easier way to get back! We can't stay here forever . . ."

Robin thought it over.

"Well . . . there is _one_ way . . ."

"Go on . . ." Ian said. Robin shook her head.

"It's _very_ dangerous . . ."

"Spit it out!" Ian said impatiently. Robin stared at the flux capacitor.

"We could use this thing to take us to a place beyond these dimensions. There is a governing world, above our own, that seems to be the birthplace of all canonical universes. If we travel through this 'Overworld', it'd give us a straight path to where we want to go."

Ellie waved her hand.

"But . . ." she prompted.

"But there is a slight chance that we could destroy the canon of each and every dimension."

"Right . . ." Ellie sighed.

"What choice do we have?" Alan interjected, "Wu is going to do something _very_ bad, maybe even WORSE than this plan of ours . . ."

Robin snorted.

"I seriously doubt that! This plan is the space-time equivalent of kicking a pregnant woman in the stomach!"

"Robin!" Ellie hissed.

"Well, it's _true_! If my theory is correct, the Overworld houses the creators of life as we know it. If we try to breach the wall between us, not only will we destroy the flux capacitor, but we might change the course of history . . . of future history . . . of everything!"

Yannick nudged Robin affectionately.

"If anyone can get us out of this place safely, it's you."

Robin sighed.

"Fine. Get ready, everyone! We're about to break a very important wall . . ."

The flux capacitor glowed with an otherworldly light. It began to fizzle and pop like a piece of hot bacon. With an explosion of cataclysmic proportions, it was blown to smithereens. The gang tumbled through a vortex of terror, until they found themselves in- WHAT THE FLIPPING HELL?!

"Sorry! We're just passing through!"

Shit! Get out of here! Get out!

"I'm trying, _geez_!"

"Whatcha writing?"

None of your business!

"This dimension is tricky . . ."

I swear, if you don't leave soon, I'll call campus security!

"No need to freak out, lady!"

"Hey, is that an Aero bar? Yoink!"

Give that _back_!

"Hang on, guys! I think I got this!"

With a bright flash of light, they were sucked out of the Overworld. The narrator sat sadly on her bench. Now that she was alone, all she could do was silently mourn the loss of her chocolate bar. She stood up and walked over to the vending machine, but she didn't have enough change for another snack. She slid her iPad into her backpack and stormed down the hall angrily.

Sometimes, fictional characters could be real assholes.


	24. What Else They Were Up To

Needless to say, Wu was surprised to see them return.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he spat.

"Pwepawe to meet yaw doom!" Ian said through a mouthful of chocolate. Wu's fists tightened around the metal railing.

"How many times do I have to kill you?!" he shrilled.

"Zero is enough . . ." Robin replied cheekily.

Wu growled and typed on his keyboard. He frowned and typed something else. Finally, he slammed his fist on the device.

"What have you _done_?"

The loudspeakers crackled.

'You should know better than to hack a hacker, Wu. You didn't even say the magic word . . ."

Wu snapped the keyboard in half.

"Temper, temper," Ellie sneered reproachingly.

"You . . . _You_! This is all YOUR fault!" Wu hissed. Ellie and Alan trudged up the catwalk's stairs.

"No, you dug your own grave," Alan hummed, "You had the chance to surrender . . ."

"I'd rather _die_!"

"I think he might have some anger issues . . ." Robin said from below.

"Shut up! Shut up!" Wu shrieked. Robin sniggered.

"Haha! He's kind of testy. If there were a word for 'skunk' in Chinese, it'd be Wu!"

They all gave her a questioning look.

"It's true! There is no Mandarin word for skunk."

They looked at Wu.

"What? . . ." he asked obliviously.

"Don't you speak Chinese?" Ian asked.

"Don't you speak Yiddish?" Wu mimicked.

"Enough! It's time to surrender, Wu. This is your last chance . . ." Alan said in warning. Wu backed further down the catwalk.

"Never . . . Never in a million years . . ."

He grabbed his cane and pointed it at Alan and Ellie like a spear.

"Come on, Wu," Ellie pleaded, "We're trying to help you. Just let it go. Surrender."

"Never . . ."

"Do the right thing," Alan said gravely.

"I should have killed you myself!"

"He's not backing down . . ." Ellie said redundantly.

Finally, Wu reached the end of the catwalk. He peered over the edge nervously.

"Don't jump . . ." Alan said.

Wu sneered.

"Fool! I'm not going to jump!"

Suddenly, he leapt forward and sliced at the suspension cables with the clawed end of his staff.

_TWANG!_

The catwalk began to teeter and roll in midair.

"Ellie! Hold on to me!" Alan shouted as he grabbed a loose cable.

They swung across the lab like Tarzan of the Apes, landing messily on Robin's back.

"Nice catch!" Alan remarked.

"Thanks!"

The catwalk continued to sway. Wu grabbed the railing as it jerked downwards.

"Hang on!" Ellie shouted as she steered Robin towards him.

"Jump, Wu! We'll catch you!" Alan bellowed as the catwalk began to tilt on its side.

"Never! NEVER!"

"Let us help you . . ." Ellie pleaded.

Wu launched his staff at her. It ricocheted off of Robin's head and was embedded in an overturned computer monitor, sending white-hot sparks into the air. As Robin jumped back, the catwalk plummeted to the ground. Wu fell through the air and landed directly on his staff. It pierced him straight through the gut. He coughed up blood, shivered, and went limp. Ellie turned her head away regretfully.

"We tried . . ." Alan whispered.

Robin lowered them to the ground. They stepped off her back and went to join the others.

"I guess we'd better go back and tell the other raptors what happened . . ." the scarred raptor sighed.

As they filed through the door, a muffled cracking sound came from behind them. Everyone froze. It grew louder. They turned their heads fearfully. Wu's body had begun to twitch on the staff.

"Oh god, is he still alive?" Alan squeaked. Robin backed away.

"It's the PMR! It's the PMR!"

"What? How?" Ellie gasped.

"The claw! It contains viable DNA!" she shrieked.

Ellie pushed everyone through the door.

"Come on, we gotta go! Now!"

"But Ellie . . ." Robin protested, "We can't let a mindless Super-Rex wander the compound!"

"The PMR does terrible things to your brain!" Yannick added.

"I can vouch for that . . ." Ian confirmed.

Ellie considered this.

"Alright. Everybody out, except for Alan, Ian, and Robin."

"_What_?" Yannick shrieked.

"Do as she says, honey," Robin replied calmly. Yannick turned and walked through the door grumpily.

Meanwhile, Wu's hands had become horribly misshapen. His thumb and pinky finger were melting away into nothingness, leaving one . . . two . . . three fingers? That couldn't be right . . .

"Um . . . Guys?" Ian said slowly, "That doesn't look like a T-Rex . . ."

Ian was right. Wu's snout seemed to be growing much too long, and two pointy crests were forming above his eyes. The dead giveaway, though, was the massive sail that grew along his spine.

"Alan . . . How much trouble are we in?" Ellie asked nervously.

"We . . . We'd better think of something," he said weakly.

Ellie dashed over to a nearby security camera.

"Ray, if you can hear us, we need help . . ."

The lights blinked three times.

"Alright, everybody else, find a hiding place until we come up with a plan!"

Alan ducked under a desk and Ian dove into a supply closet. Robin looked around nervously.

"Ellie, where do you hide a four-ton dinosaur?"

"Get behind that curtain over there. Let's hope he doesn't go looking for us . . ."

Ellie joined Alan in his hiding place just as Wu's morphing subsided. She held his hand as the giant dinosaur pulled himself upright.

"Alan . . . Is that-"

"Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, yes."

"Fully-grown?"

"Nearly."

The spinosaurus growled. Ellie squeezed Alan's hand tighter.

"Alan, do you think . . . I mean- . . . Could a T-Rex-"

He shook his head.

"It could go either way, but I'm not putting you in danger . . ."

"We may not have a choice . . ."

Ellie glanced at a loose wire. Alan turned her head away.

"Don't. I'm not going to lose you again."

The spinosaurus began to sniff the air.

"Alan, he's coming . . ."

"Ellie . . ."

She pulled Alan closer and kissed him full on the lips. While he was dazed, she rolled over and grabbed the wire.

"Ellie, _no_!"

She touched the end of the wire and jolted. The spinosaurus heard their exchange and began to hiss.

"Ian! Distract him!" Alan bellowed.

Ian tumbled out of the supply closet and flicked his tail at the monster. It barked as a shower of quills pierced its snout. As it clawed at the spikes, Robin charged it from behind and yanked its tail. It roared angrily and spun around. Alan continued to sit by Ellie, whose metamorphosis was nearly complete. The spinosaurus roared angrily and snapped at Robin, who growled in reply. As she lunged at the beast, it caught her neck in its jaws. She screamed and clawed at its face. Before it could snap her neck, however, Ian launched himself through the air and dug his claws into its side. The spinosaurus roared and snapped its jaws, but Ian climbed higher. Finally, the monster caught his leg and flung him into a bleeding Robin. Just as the spinosaurus was about to finish them off, Ellie knocked it over. It hissed and flailed like a trout out of water.

"Ellie! Run!" Alan shouted desperately. She shook her head and pinned the spinosaurus to the ground with her foot. Alan stood up and ran to a computer. He didn't know what he was doing, but he had to try _something_ . . .

'RRRAAAHHH!'

Ellie screamed in surprise as the spinosaurus righted itself, knocking her off balance. It slammed into her side and pushed her to the ground. Alan typed furiously at the keyboard.

_ZAP!_

Without warning, the machine came to life. The spinosaurus turned in confusion as the orb began to glow with a bright, white light. Alan pressed several keys at random. A ribbon of light emerged from the sphere and began to wrap around the spinosaurus. It roared as it was sucked into the portal.

"Close the gate . . ." Robin said weakly. Alan shook his head.

"We don't know where we've sent him . . ." Alan quavered nervously.

Ian sighed.

"Wherever he is, it's not our problem anymore."

From inside the portal, they could hear a frazzled roar and gunfire. A shrill voice echoed through the light.

"WHAT'S A BAD ID-"

Alan shut down the machine, cutting off the voice that emerged from an unseen world. Ellie circled the lab and helped Robin to her feet. Ian limped by her side for support. The four of them stood in silence for a moment.

"You know, all things considered, that went _surprisingly_ well . . ." Ian remarked. Robin nodded woozily.

"You guys sure know how to show a girl a good time."

Ellie supported Robin as they limped out of the lab. Before shutting the door, Alan took one last look at the machine. Ian nudged his shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. It sounded like they had plenty of ammunition on the other side."

Alan gave a noncommittal grunt.

"I hope this doesn't come back to haunt me . . ."

Ian snorted.

"Do you _really_ believe in all that 'karma' nonsense?"

Alan shook his head.

"Not really, but I'll bet that I've caused some serious damage in that world . . ."

Ian shrugged.

"Maybe. But _you're _safe, and that's what's important."

And he trotted through the door without another word.


	25. Home

When they stepped into the sunlight, the gang was met with a loud cheer. The theropod army was waiting for them outside, and they received a hero's welcome. Buzz, Rocky, Bucky, Lance, Otto, Crusher, Kipper, Morton, and Penelope dashed over to Ellie and rubbed against her legs affectionately. How they were able to recognize her, she would never know.

"Ellie! You did it! You saved us all!" Rocky cheered.

'We did it together, Rocky. All of us.'

He squinted a little.

"Yeah, I didn't quite understand all of that, but I'm sure it was nice . . ."

Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Dr. Sattler!"

Mr. Arnold sprinted over.

"I tried to help, but-"

Alan held up his hand.

"It's okay. We managed just fine. Kind of."

"Right. Anyway, I found the antidote for the PMR . . . for the virus in general."

Muldoon cantered over.

"Well, what are you _waiting_ for? Hand it over!"

Mr. Arnold shook his head.

"If we administer the cure, it could result in temporary amnesia. We'd have to stay here for quite a while . . ."

Muldoon waved his claws dismissively.

"Fine, fine. We'll stay as long as it takes. The park needs a game warden, anyway . . ."

Oscar Morales (who was still guarding Trixie) joined the discussion.

"If it's alright with you two, I'd rather not take the antidote. I don't have much waiting for me back home . . ."

Robin sighed with relief.

"I'm _so_ glad you said it first. I know it sounds crazy, but I think I could get used to this dinosaur thing . . ."

'You sure?' Ellie asked. Robin shrugged.

"Why not? Unless Yannick has any objections . . ."

Yannick stepped forward.

"You stay, I stay."

They nuzzled each other with their snouts.

"Are you keen to stay a utahraptor, Mr. Malcolm?" Muldoon asked.

"Oh, HELL no!" Ian exclaimed, "I want to go home! Soon!"

"You _do_ realize that you can't tell anyone about this . . ." Mr. Arnold said in warning.

"Don't try and stop me . . ." Ian hissed.

Mr. Arnold seemed a little miffed by Ian's comment, but Muldoon held him back.

"Easy, there . . . He probably won't even remember any of this . . ."

'Will he?' Ellie wondered.

H̟͎̺̆͌̏̈ͣḛ̻̮͖̻̰͇̏̅ ̫̤̮͖̠̮ͧͪͦͫ̈ͪ̔ẃ͛͊̓ͯ̐o̘̻͈͓͖̫͇n̞͇̜͉̬͓͇ͧ̆ͥ͆̈ͩ'͐͊t̫͉͓͇̠ ͍͔̎͋͛̋̽͊

Ellie jumped as the Troödon's voice(s) rang in her head. Well, that was that, then.

Muldoon and Arnold led Ian back to the lab. Never in a million years would Ellie have expected to see two velociraptors escorting a theropod twice their size across the island, but then, all of this was more or less unexpected (to put it _very_ mildly).

As she watched them leave, Ellie felt a strange twinge in her heart. It wasn't exactly sorrow, but it certainly wasn't a happy feeling. It was like regret, only instead of being nostalgic or pensive, it was a premonition of future emotions.

Before Ellie could dwell on the thought, the disjointed roar of a helicopter filled the sky. The raptors suddenly turned to face one side of the island.

"The beach," Buzz said simply.

They thundered across the plain to see who had arrived on the shores of Isla Nublar.

***_TSJPFEW_***

When the crew arrived at the beach, they were greeted with a very strange sight. A barge had been anchored near shore, and several small trucks were trickling down a ramp on its side. The helicopter had landed on top of the boat (it wouldn't have been wise to kick up sand, obviously), and the propellers were beginning to decelerate. At the front of the squad was John Hammond. Behind him, a very happy-looking boy was riding on the back of an irritated T-Rex.

'Timmy?' Ellie gasped. He bounced up and down excitedly.

"Haha! Face the wrath of the Tyrannosaurus-_Lex_!"

The T-Rex rolled her eyes.

'Lex?'

'Hello, Dr. Sattler!'

They stood a few feet away from each other. Lex was definitely shorter than Ellie (And rightly so!), but not by much. This was the _weirdest_ reunion, ever.

"Ellie! So good to see you!" Hammond barked jovially, "I trust you haven't had any trouble while I was gone?"

'You're joking, right?'

"Ellie, my dear, I don't speak T-Rex. But maybe this will help. Open up!"

He tossed a block of speckled cheese into her mouth. As soon as it touched her tongue, Ellie began to glow. Soon, she had shrunken down to her regular size.

"What the hell? . . ." Alan marveled in awe.

"Roquefort cheese," Hammond said cheerfully, "It seems to counteract the effects of the highest transformation."

"You know, you should have told me all of this on the phone . . ." Ellie said grumpily. Hammond chuckled.

"Would you have believed me?"

Ellie turned to Alan. He shrugged.

'Ellie!'

The raptors padded onto the beach. Hammond's guards raised their guns, but Ellie stepped in front of them.

"Don't shoot! They're friendly . . ."

The look on Hammond's face could not be properly described with mortal words.

"There was a theropod revolution," Ellie explained, ignoring his perceptible disbelief, "Wu was doing some _very_ inhumane experimentation . . ."

Hammond shook his head.

"Yes, yes. I suspected. Has he been detained?"

Alan gave a nervous laugh.

"We're going to have to have a little talk . . ."

'Ellie, what's going to happen now?' Kipper asked.

'I don't know . . .' she whispered uneasily.

"You can communicate with these raptors? Fascinating," Hammond marveled.

"And we can speak for ourselves," the scarred raptor said in perfect English.

Hammond stared at the raptor for a very long time. Finally, Ellie pulled him to the side.

"John, may I have a word with you?"

"Certainly."

She walked him down the beach until they could not be heard by the others. When they stopped, Ellie sighed and crossed her arms.

"These raptors . . . They're smart, John. Smart like you and I. They think, they feel, they live . . . They aren't just pets anymore . . ."

"I can see that," he said with awe.

"They shouldn't be held captive, John. They need protection," Ellie continued.

"Are they dangerous?" he asked.

"They won't hurt a soul if I tell them not too. They need to be left alone . . ."

Hammond scoffed.

"And how are we supposed to integrate them into the wild?"

"They'll stay on this island. No one has to know that they exist. My father's a senator: you could ask him to stage a demolition-"

"Do you know how _expensive_ that would be? I may be rich, but even wealth has its limits . . ."

"So, keep a few scientists here for research purposes."

"It's not enough."

Ellie paced back and forth. She clapped her hands.

"DIAMONDS! That's it! There are diamonds in Mount Sibo! You can mine the diamonds-"

"With dinosaurs wandering about?"

"They'll cooperate. They'll help."

"And the infrastructure?"

"Rebuild it. Find volunteers."

"And the nondisclosure agreement?"

"I will personally hunt down anyone who dares break it."

"You seem very adamant about this . . ."

Ellie grabbed his shoulders.

"John, I have never been this devoted to _anything_ in my entire life."

"Calm down, calm down! We'll work something out . . ." he babbled. Ellie turned away sadly.

"John, these are my friends. I can't let anything happen to them."

"Then I'd better find a scientist who can take up Wu's mantle without relying on unorthodox tactics . . ." he hinted.

Ellie nodded.

"Can you give me a minute? I need to talk to Alan . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Charlie wasn't looking so good. His posture was submissive, his eyes were bleak, and he dragged his feet through the sand without much care. He perked up a little when he saw Alan, but not much.

"Hey, sport. How are you feeling?" Alan asked as he kneeled to the ground.

Charlie whimpered and jumped into his arms.

"Not good!" he wailed.

He buried his face into Alan's shoulder and began to shake. Alan patted his back gently. When Charlie turned his head, Alan saw a stream of tears trickling down his face.

"Raptors cry? . . ."

"I'm not crying!" Charlie wailed.

"Shhh . . . I know, I know . . ."

Alan didn't hear Ellie until she called out to him. She pattered over on light feet, stepping carefully around a dozen dried starfish.

"Alan! Alan! We need to t-"

She saw Charlie.

"Oh, no . . ."

She knelt down beside them and stroked Charlie's head. He closed his eyes and started to sob heavily.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay . . ."

Buzz and Rocky cantered over naively.

"Don't be upset, little brother. _We'll _take care of you . . ." Buzz said casually.

"Yeah, don't you worry about a thing, Dr. G!" Rocky added, nudging Alan, "We'll watch over him when you're gone . . ."

Charlie's head whipped up in alarm.

"Gone? _GONE_?! You're _LEAVING_?! . . ."

"No . . . I mean . . . yes. But it's not quite- uh- . . . You'll be okay . . ." Alan said weakly.

A new set of tears poured out of Charlie's eyes as he gave Alan a look of absolute betrayal.

"Oh, Charlie . . ."

The scarred raptor noticed all of the commotion and sped over. She plucked Charlie up by the scruff of his neck and placed him on her back.

"Take good care of him . . ." Alan said quietly.

"I will," she replied monotonously.

Alan gave a sad smile.

"Goodbye, Charlie . . ."

He reached out, but Charlie turned his head bitterly. For a moment, Alan looked hurt, but he soon reverted to his usual mien. Ellie gave him an understanding look.

As the pack began to leave, the scarred raptor walked slowly past Ellie. She paused and dipped her head so that their eyes met.

'She wasn't talking to me, you know . . .'

Ellie bit her lip.

When the scarred raptor was out of earshot, Ellie stood up and walked over to Alan. She took both of his hands in her own and sighed.

"Alan, I was thinking . . ."

She bit her lip.

"It's- Well, it's like this . . ."

He waited. Ellie gulped.

"What if . . . What if we _didn't_ go back? . . . To the mainland, I mean. Or home, generally . . ."

"Stay on the island, you mean?"

"Well, not STAY, exactly . . . but just . . . not leave."

"That's the same as staying . . ."

"Mhm. Kind of. Yeah."

"Ellie . . ." Alan said gently, "If you're asking what I think you're asking, then the answer is yes. But only if you can explain to me- without beating around the bush- what it is you're trying to say."

Ellie took a deep breath.

"I want to adopt a baby raptor and live on an abandoned theme park."

"Me too. Was that so hard?"

Ellie grabbed his collar with both hands and pulled him in for a kiss. It lasted for a very long time. Finally, they separated with a gentle click.

Alan laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's a good thing I didn't paint myself with rubber cement . . ."

Ellie chuckled.

"I don't think there are many clinics around that could unglue us properly. We'd be stuck together for a _very _long time . . ."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

They smiled and began to walk down the beach.

***_TSJPFEW_***

After speaking with Hammond, Alan and Ellie caught up with the scarred raptor. Apparently, she had sensed that they weren't quite ready to leave. She prowled slowly across the beach, pausing occasionally to look behind her. When she saw them coming, she nudged Charlie with a smile. He raised his head and watched them charge across the sand. Although they stumbled now and then, they didn't seem to be slowing down . . .

Before he could react, Ellie tackled Charlie to the ground. They rolled across the sand until Alan dove on top of them. Charlie thrashed around madly in Ellie's arms.

"What are you _doing_? Are you _CRAZY_?!" he shrieked.

"Yes! Very much so!" Alan said, grabbing his tiny raptor feet. Ellie giggled like a ninny.

"You guys are so weird . . ." Charlie remarked.

The scarred raptor meandered over and stared at an upside-down Ellie.

"I take it you've change your mind?" she asked cheekily.

"Mhm," Ellie hummed.

"I thought so. It's good to have you back, Chieftain."

Ellie sat up as a gently rumbling spread across the sand. The entirety of the theropod army was sprinting across the beach, and her raptors were in the lead. They screeched to a halt by her side.

'Ellie! We have terrific news!' Kipper bubbled, 'Hammond's decided to make Jurassic Park a protected area. We've been liberated! Pretty neat, huh?'

Ellie smiled.

'Congratulations!'

'It's a miracle!' Crusher bellowed, 'I can't imagine why he'd decide to help us after all the damage we caused . . .'

A helicopter pattered gently across the sky and flew into the sunset. The raptors watched it leave.

"Well, that'd be Ian . . ." Ellie sighed.

"So, he won't remember a thing?" Alan asked.

"The _Troödon_ say he won't . . ."

Morton stepped forward and nudged Ellie.

"Shouldn't you, uh, be up there with your friend?" he asked, pointing to the helicopter. Ellie stood up and marched through the sand with a businesslike air.

"In theory, yes. But the troublesome state of affairs is this: I have been appointed Chieftain of the Raptors, and I don't intend to abandon my post any time soon."

"So, you're not leaving? . . ." Bucky asked hopefully.

"How could I, when so many of you rely on my military genius?" Ellie boasted.

Alan pulled her back.

"Alright, don't overdo it."

"So . . . you're _really_ staying?" Charlie asked with bright eyes.

"_Of course_ we're staying. We're family," Alan said as he scooped him up for a hug.

Ellie joined in, and soon every velociraptor, herrerasaur, gallimimus, dilophosaurus, compsognathus, and bambiraptor had gravitated towards them for a giant group hug. Soon, two allosaurs arrived and were pulled into the crowd like a magnet. Everyone laughed and smiled, even after they had separated.

As the sun set on the beach, the theropods of Isla Nublar watched warm colors dance across the sky. One by one, they returned to their respective homes, no longer restrained by electric fences, moats, or barriers of any kind.

Ellie, Alan, and Charlie were the last to leave. They sat together as the fading light began to give way to a myriad of stars. And then they turned, and walked back toward the entrance of Jurassic Park.

**The End**


	26. Epi-lude

"The End"

Typing these words, the narrator is filled with bitter sorrow. It's strange to return to a normal style of writing after such silliness. Regardless, the haunting verisimilitude of current works will have to fill the void.

As she grabs some change from her wallet, the narrator wonders why she is reciting her actions in the present tense. Two students seem fairly alarmed by her soliloquy. When they hear themselves being mentioned in her rambling, they quickly pack up their things and round the corner. The narrator watches them leave, lowering her voice so as not to frighten anyone else.

As the coins drop into the vending machine with a hollow clatter, the narrator eyes a beautifully wrapped Aero bar. After pressing E9, the metal spiral begins to rotate. The chocolate moves forward, but is caught on the edge of the hook.

"Aw, for the love of-"

The narrator taps the machine irritably. She reaches her hand through the flap, but it does not allow her to grab the candy bar. Reluctantly, she sends another dollar down the shaft.

After a bit of fiddling, the narrator walks away with two Aero bars in her hand. Unwrapping the gilded paper, she shoves them into her mouth greedily. She ceases to chew when she notices a bird perched on a fallen tree. It sings a cheerful melody, chirping right from the bottom of its red breast. It almost sounds like "peepeetsooh".

The narrator moves on.

As she walks across campus, the narrator stops to examine the fossil displays in the geology complex. After writing about such things, she can now identify at least half of them. Maybe all that research hadn't been in vain . . .

The narrator pauses when she sees a familiar face. A Jurassic Park pteranodon stares at her from a tacky tutoring poster. Apparently, clip art has been replaced by poorly-concealed Photoshop.

Speaking of the pteranodon, she hadn't really resolved that plot thread, had she? The story arc she had in mind didn't really fit the narrative . . .

Ah, but it was too late to delve into these unused ideas. The story had ended, her work was done.

Still, there was a lot of potential in this setup . . .

No. Bad idea.

Returning home, the narrator glances out her window. The dead kingfisher from three months ago is still there, splayed across the roof like a fallen angel. It reminds her of Kipper. The narrator had grown quite fond of his character. She would have liked to see more from the gang of seven . . .

But it was over. The story had come to an end. It was too bad, really . . .

So, what had happened to Wu after the events of JP /? He would certainly get his memory back at some point. Wouldn't that cause quite a bit of trouble?

But no. It was over.

Besides, how would Ellie react if she knew about her alternate self?

. . .

How _would_ she react? That was an interesting concept . . .

No. Too late. It was over.

And yet . . .

The narrator picked up a yellow dinosaur figurine in her hands. She twirled it around thoughtfully and put its tail over her lip. Was the story _really_ over? Surely, there must be something _new_ to the characters, something she could explore more thoroughly. One can't simply live on an island for the rest of their life without developing some sort of drama . . .

The narrator trudged down two flights of stairs and flicked on the light to her basement. She pulled out a large tupperware and dug through its contents. When she climbed back up to her room, her arms were full of Jurassic Park memorabilia. The narrator cleared her desk and placed the models in front of her. When the counter was properly dusted, she flipped her iPad open and created a new document. After staring at it for a few seconds, she lowered her hands and began to type.

When her mother called her down for supper, she pushed away from the desk with a smile on her face. As she marched down the staircase, the narrator carried with her the saccharine taste of a beautiful collection of words:

**The Silliest Jurassic Park Fanfiction Ever Written Two: Inherently Unpredictable Sequelae**


	27. Hallowistmentines Special

It began with the compsognathus. Nobody suspected much at first, but when the tiny creatures began to show signs of mental instability, the raptors began to worry. The puny green lizards (technically not lizards, actually) hobbled along like pigeon-sized zombies, reaching out for some unseen target with their twiggy arms. This was unusual, even for compsognathus. Still, for the most part, they were ignored by everyone but the raptors. It had been only a few months since the San Diego incident, after all, and tensions were running high. Ellie, in particular, felt responsible for the whole mess.

"C'mon Alan, you _know_ this can't be a coincidence!" she exclaimed as they wandered through the Visitors' Center, "First, Hammond calls us to Sorna. We refuse. _Then_, whathappens?"

"Ian and Sarah are called instead?" he answered halfheartedly.

"Exactly. Next, the Troödon tell me that they have a boat to catch. _Then_, what happens?"

"A boat crashes and a Sorna T-Rex is set loose in San Diego," he sighed.

"Yes. Yes. And WHO brings it back to Sorna?"

"The navy?"

"Technically, yes. But who _recaptured_ it?"

"Ian?"

"Ian."

Ellie sighed.

"This isn't a coincidence. Someone is sending us a message."

"The Troödon?"

"Maybe. Probably. But you know how they _are _. . ."

Alan placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Look, this doesn't concern us. Sorna isn't our jurisdiction . . ."

"God, I _hate_ that place. The raptors there are crude, barbaric, _stripey_ . . ."

"Some of OUR raptors are stripey . . ."

"Stripey-_ER_!" Ellie insisted.

"It doesn't concern us."

"It does! Ian-"

"-doesn't remember a thing. We're _safe_."

"But-"

"Relax . . ."

"But-"

"_Relax_ . . ."

He held Ellie close and rocked her back and forth. She closed her eyes.

"Mmm . . . You shouldn't use physical contact to woo me like that . . ."

"I don't have to. You love me, regardless . . ."

"A-_lan_ . . ."

"You love me . . ."

"I love you . . ."

Their banter was interrupted when Robin burst through the kitchen door.

"C'mon guys! You're gonna be late for the party!"

"Late? It's ten o'clock!" Ellie reminded her.

"Exactly! It's supposed to be dark and spoooooooooky!" she hooted, twinkling her claws eerily.

"Robin . . ."

"Spooooooooooky! . . ."

Alan sighed.

"Alright. We're coming. Bring out the punch."

Robin gave a loud "squee". She pushed open the double doors and skipped into the rotunda.

"I _LOVE_ HALLOWEEN!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robin had done a very good job of decorating the Visitors' Center. There were string cobwebs everywhere, and she had set up fog machines to compliment the green spotlights. From the apple-bobbing to the two-tonne pile of candy corn (Ellie would have to talk to her about that later), the rotunda was practically _oozing _Halloween spirit. Ellie walked past a giant spider balloon (she would really, _really_ have to ask Robin where she was getting all this stuff) and began to search for Charlie. She found him sitting with the other raptor children, who were listening intently to Mr. Arnold's shed story.

". . . and when I turned around, the raptor was carrying . . . MY ARM!"

He pulled off his prosthetic arm and waved it at the kids. They screamed and scattered across the room.

"Stop scaring the kids, Ray . . ." Ellie said in mock-warning.

"I'm just having a little fun . . ."

Alan joined them.

"Sheesh. It's no wonder that thing is falling off all the time. You'd better stop fiddling with it . . ."

"You know, I still have nightmares about that shed . . ." Ellie muttered grumpily.

"Not my fault! Not my fault!" Ray bleated lightly.

Ellie rolled her eyes. Charlie, who had been hiding with the other kids, waddled over and hugged her leg.

"Is the story_ true_?" he asked squeakily.

"Oh, sure!" Ellie grumbled, "Though I'll bet Ray exaggerated certain details . . ."

"Like how he roundhouse-kicked the raptor in the face?"

They turned to Ray.

"Hey! You weren't there . . ." he said defensively.

Charlie giggled and wandered off to play with the other kids. He seemed to be growing taller than them. A little.

Ellie worried a great deal about Charlie's stunted growth. By all means, he wasn't the only dinosaur to have issues with genetic coding. Mutations could range from crooked teeth to extra legs, so he wasn't exactly in a bad way. If anything, he was lucky to be the only raptor who could fully morph into a bird. It sure made their visits to the mainland a lot easier . . .

Down by the minibar, Muldoon was having a conversation with two raptors. Ellie pushed through the crowd and sat down next to them.

"-and she gave me a pretty bad gash on my belly . . ." he said, pointing to a wrinkled scar. One of the raptors scoffed and pointed to her scarred eye.

"At least _you_ don't have to deal with partial blindness!" she cackled.

"How bad_ is_ your vision, anyway?" Muldoon asked.

"Good enough to see that Oscar is making faces at me."

The third raptor squeaked and slid off his chair. They watched him waddle away.

"You really ought to forgive him, Val. It's been nearly five years . . ." Ellie hummed.

"Why don't you have someone slice _your _eye and see how fast _you _get over it?" she spat.

"Alright, point taken," Ellie sighed.

"Hey, Ellie!" Morton shouted from a haystack, "Come look at this!"

Ellie slid off the chair and walked over. Morton and Penelope had glued various wigs to their sides. Ellie raised her eyebrow.

"What are you supposed to be?"

"Hair-rerasaurs."

Ellie giggled.

"That's very good."

"Where's YOUR costume?" Penelope asked. Ellie shrugged.

"I don't really have anything pr- MPH!"

A massive cardboard tube slid over her head.

"Surprise!" Robin chirped, "I _made_ you one!"

Ellie stuck her arms through two white straps. The cardboard was painted with brown, horizontal stripes. Robin placed a bouquet of plastic leaves on Ellie's head.

"Ta-dah! You're a _palm tree_!"

Ellie blew a hanging leaf off of her forehead.

"Thanks, Robin."

"No problem!"

Turning around, Ellie saw that Robin had painted black stripes across her scales. She was wearing a pair of itty-bitty fairy wings and sparkly antennae.

"So . . . you're a bee?" Ellie asked.

"Yup. Yanni and I decided to do couple-costumes this year . . ."

She pointed to Yannick, who had been delicately festooned with poofy pink petals and large leaves. He didn't look too happy. Ellie sniggered.

"I think he looks _lovely_ . . ."

Alan jogged over.

"Hey, Ellie. Are the bambiraptors supposed to be drinking alcoholic punch, or-"

Robin slid another plastic tube over Alan. This one was painted blue-purple, and had a very smiley brachiosaurus head on top.

"Outstanding," Alan mumbled.

"Glad ya think so," Robin twittered.

"Ellie! Alan! Something's wrong with the compsognathus!" Kipper shouted as he dashed through a pair of swinging doors. He skidded across the floor on his claws, but managed to right himself before losing grip. He stared at Ellie and Alan's costumes and pursed his snout, trying hard to keep from laughing.

"What's going on?" Ellie asked monotonously. Kipper pointed to a nearby compsognathus.

"They're walking funny. Also, their eyes are glowing. I think it might have something to do with Haunted Mountain . . ."

"Haunted Mountain?" Ellie echoed. Charlie flapped over and landed on her shoulders.

"Did somebody say 'Haunted Mountain'? Buzz and Rocky told me all about it! It's a HUGE mountain down South-"

"You mean _South_ Mountain?" Ellie asked.

"_Haunted_ Mountain! There's a ghost . . ." Charlie insisted.

"Sweetie, there's no such thing as ghosts. They're just pretend," Ellie cooed.

"But Buzz and Rocky said-"

"Buzz and Rocky say a lot of things. There is _no_ ghost on South Mountain."

"WRONG!"

Robin padded over from the apple-bobbing barrel.

"There _IS_ a ghost on Haunted Mountain, and I _saw_ him!"

Ellie raised her eyebrow.

"You don't believe me?" Robin whined. Ellie shrugged.

"I guess not . . ."

"Well, you weren't THERE! I was wandering through the mountains in search of those tasty little tapir things, when I saw a pale figure in the mist. I thought it was odd that I didn't smell him coming, so I followed him up the trail. When I reached the summit, he jumped out of the bushes and spewed ectoplasm all over the place! And nobody ever saw me again . . ."

"I think you're being dramatic," Ellie said flatly.

"Whooooooooo . . ."

"Robin . . ."

"WHOOOOOOOOO!"

Ellie sighed and rubbed her brow. Kipper nudged her arm.

"She has a point. The compsognathus are migrating South. Something could be _happening_ on that mountain . . ."

"Something spoooooooooky!" Robin hooted.

"Enough! There is _nothing_ supernatural on the peak of Hau- On South Mountain! There's probably a rational explanation . . ." Ellie barked.

"Like magnetic currents," Alan confirmed, "Plenty of animals can sense negative charge."

The theropods gave him a nasty look.

"Oh, come on! We're _all _animals! It's not a slur . . ." he said defensively.

"Ack! Ellie, if you're so sure that there isn't anything going on up there, maybe we could organize an expedition," Robin suggested coyly.

"Fine. We leave immediately. We can take a jeep down the outer road-"

"_JEEP_?!" Robin yapped loudly, "Why take a jeep when you have a perfectly good hayride just waiting to be used?"

Robin trotted over to a nearby table and slipped into a harness. Yannick strapped her to a wagon.

"Come on! It'll be fun! Until the ghost murders us, that is . . ."

Ellie rolled her eyes and hopped into the cart. She pulled a barely-mobile Alan up by his arms. Charlie flitted up after them.

"Oh, _no_. You're staying _here_!" Ellie scolded seriously.

"What?! Why can't I come?" Charlie whined.

"Ellie thinks the ghost will get you," Robin said matter-of-factly.

"I do NOT! There's no such thing as ghosts . . ."

"See, that's why you'd die in a horror movie!" Robin blathered, "The doubter always gets his or her comeuppance . . ."

"Mhm. And I suppose _you'd_ live?" Ellie grumbled.

"Well, sure! And Charlie, too. You can never kill off a kid character."

"What about in 'Jaws'?" Alan asked blandly.

"Ack! Whatever. Let's just bring enough expendable people along . . ." Robin huffed.

"You've been watching too many movies," Ellie muttered.

"Well SOMEONE has to die first. On an unrelated note, has anyone seen Ray?"

"Just go, already!" Ellie snapped.

"Fine, fine. No need to get touchy . . . _Doubter_."

Robin pulled the wagon out the front entranceway. They bumped down the steps and headed for the main road. Charlie flew after them, landing gently on Ellie's lap. She was about to scold him, but he curled up against her and smiled sweetly.

Sometimes, Charlie could be a real brat.

Ellie gave a half-smile and scooped him up in her arms. He purred softly as they clattered down the road, headed southbound towards the mysterious Haunted Mountain.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"There's something strange in the neighborhood . . . Who ya gonna call?"

"Robin, you've been singing for half an hour . . ." Alan moaned.

"Well, I don't hear any of _you_ getting into the holiday spirit!"

"I think I overdosed on Halloween last year . . ." Kipper said dolefully. Ellie giggled.

"I _told_ you not to eat all that candy . . ."

"It was SOOOOOO good . . ." Kipper drooled.

"And unhealthy! You'll rot your teeth if you're not careful . . ."

"Oh, lighten up, Ellie. I thought you were supposed to be the _cheerful_ one . . ." Robin hummed.

"I just don't like it when you scare Charlie . . ."

"I'm not scared!" Charlie said brightly.

"Yeah, he's not scared!" Robin repeated.

"Don't you two go ganging up on me now . . ." Ellie warned them.

"C'mon, Ellie! You used to be fun . . ." Robin pouted.

"I AM fun!" Ellie spat defensively, "I just don't like Halloween . . ."

"You liked it last year . . ." Robin whined.

"I _put up_ with it last year. And the year before. I don't have to _love_ it."

Robin sighed and turned her eyes to the road. Ellie bit her lip guiltily. What was she _doing_, losing her temper with her best friend? Halloween sure had a way of filling people with angst . . .

"Why do you hate Halloween?" Charlie peeped.

"Oh, sweetie. I don't hate Halloween. I just . . . don't like it very much."

"Is this another one of your 'mommy issues'?" Robin asked bitterly.

Ellie glared at her.

"You can't heal unless you talk about it . . ." Robin twittered.

"Don't even _go_ there! I shouldn't have told you anything about that _vile woman_ to begin with!"

"Ellie!" Alan gasped.

"Well, it's_ true_! You, of all people, should know that. How many times did she_ insult_ you while I was around? . . ."

Alan looked away uncomfortably.

"And the nagging, oh _god_, the nagging! 'Ellen, lose some weight! Ellen, marry one of the Degler boys! Ellen, quit your job and find a _real_ career!' She was a MONSTER!"

Ellie suddenly realized that she had been shouting. She cleared her throat and shrunk away with embarrassment.

"Anyway, that's all over now. We never have to deal with her again."

Robin frowned.

"Are you _sure_ you shouldn't at least try-"

"And how are things going with _your _mother, Robin?"

Robin whimpered and turned her head. She hadn't spoken to her mother since she had disowned her, and that was_ before_ she was a dinosaur. Maybe Ellie had gone too far . . .

"Hey, guys! Look at this!"

Kipper was leaning over the edge of the cart. When Ellie peered over the side, she saw oodles of compsognathus marching slowly towards South Mountain. Their eyes were glowing a sickly shade of yellow, and their arms were outstretched like zombies.

"This is weird . . ." Alan remarked with confusion.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know . . ." Ellie whispered, "Do you think they had too much tequila or something? . . ."

"Is _that _what's supposed to happen?" Robin gasped.

"What? No! I'm joking. Haven't you ever-"

"No. I don't drink," Robin answered abruptly.

"Okay, then. Robin, I think we oughta unhook you now. We can walk the rest of the way."

Robin slowed to a halt and pulled the straps. Everyone lurched forward as the shafts crashed noisily to the ground. Robin tore the harness off and walked forward sourly.

"Alright, let's go!" she huffed.

Ellie and Alan shared a look. They slid out of the rear compartment and helped Charlie down. He sat on top of Alan's brachiosaurus head as they waddled up the hiking trail. Every time Ellie tried to catch up with Robin, she'd walk faster.

Halloween was a bad time of year . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

Halfway up the mountain, an eerie mist began to pour down from higher ground. It stayed mostly below knee-level, but moving through the vapor quickly stirred it up enough to impede their vision. Because Robin was the largest, she had to walk at the rear of the group. She kept Kipper on her (literal) tail, however, as she didn't want anyone to sneak up on her from behind.

Despite the questionable weather, Ellie still believed that nothing supernatural was going on. The only thing that came close to paranormal activity was the incomprehensible missions of the Troödon, and _this_ didn't look like their handiwork.

"Can anyone see the compys anymore?" Alan asked from up front.

"Naw. I thought I'd stepped on one, but it was just a tarantula . . ." Robin said with disgust. Alan shuddered.

"Do you have arachnophobia?" Charlie chirped jokingly.

"Where do you _learn_ these vocabulary words? . . ." Alan marveled.

"Certainly not from _you_ . . ." Ellie laughed, "Alan's writing skills aren't exactly on par with Victor Hugo . . ."

"Hey!"

"After reading your book, I have to agree," Charlie interjected, "You're a good illustrator, though. But you made some mistakes-"

"Well, I didn't exactly have living specimens at the time," Alan huffed.

"Speaking of which, I finally figured out how stegosaurs mate!" Robin bubbled, "I was hunting this pudgy female down by the river, when suddenly, a huge buck comes along and sticks his-"

"BOUNDARIES!" Ellie and Alan shouted in unison, plugging Charlie's ears.

"Ack! Since when did you stop being scientists?"

"Since we became parents," Alan retorted. Robin rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. It's times like this that I'm glad I'm barren. I can't imagine having to be PC 24/7 . . ."

"Robin, I don't think you're capable of-"

"GAH!"

"What? What is it?" Ellie shrieked.

"Kipper! He's gone!" Robin wailed.

"What? But he was on your tail! Didn't you feel him leave?"

"When did you last see him?" Alan asked.

"Oh, geez, I dunno . . . Five, six minutes ago? . . ."

Ellie searched the misty ground.

"Kipper! Kipper! KI-"

"Save your breath! The ghost got him . . ." Robin whimpered.

Ellie stopped shouting. Ah. So, that was the game, eh?

"Alright. I guess we'd better find the 'ghost' and rescue Kipper . . ." Ellie said sarcastically.

"You don't sound scared . . ." Robin remarked.

"I don't sound amused, either. Is this a prank?"

Robin snorted.

"That's such a _horror movie_ thing to say . . ."

"Mhm. Alright. Well, let's keep going."

***_TSJPFEW_***

The fog was getting thicker. Ellie held Alan's hand so that they wouldn't lose each other in the haze. It was doubtful that anyone could get separated, however, since Robin was singing at the top of her lungs.

"This is Halloween! This is Halloween! Pumpkins scream in the dead of night . . ."

"Robin, can you maybe lower your voice for a minute?" Alan asked grumpily.

"No! If I stop talking, the ghost will get me!"

"That's ridiculous!" Ellie huffed, "How could we lose a thirteen-meter-long dinosaur?"

"The mist is thick . . ."

"You're bright yellow. We'll see you."

Robin frowned.

"Fine. I'd rather be snatched away than stay with you guys, anyway!"

"Real mature, Robin . . ." Ellie sighed. Robin stopped walking and sniffled.

"Why do you always get so_ foul_ in October? I _never _get angry with _you_ . . ."

"You do _so_!" Ellie snapped, "You just bounce back quickly, that's all!"

Robin growled.

"You think I bounce back quickly? Well, that's easy for _you_ to say! It's _hard_ being a dinosaur! If you think I don't get hormonal just because I can't menstr-"

"BOUNDARIES!" Alan shouted.

"Ack! You know, some of us aren't being very good friends right now. I'll give you a list of who I'm NOT talking about: Charlie, Alan, Me."

Ellie crossed her arms.

"If you have a problem with the way I'm running things, you can leave."

Robin sneered.

"Do you know who you sound like?"

"Please, tell me!" Ellie said sarcastically. Robin growled.

"I won't. If I do, you'll never forgive me. But it's true."

Ellie frowned.

"Whatever . . ."

"Ack! What a gamble friendship is! If I didn't know for a fact that you'll cheer up once this month is through, I'd leave _right now_!"

"Bite me."

"If I did, you'd die. _Then_ who would I hang out with?"

"Alan and Charlie?"

"Just Alan, now. While we were fighting, the ghost kidnapped Charlie."

Ellie whipped her head around. Charlie was no longer perched on Alan's costume.

"Charlie? CHARLIE?!" Alan shouted, spinning around to see if he had climbed down his back.

"You know what? I'm not even sorry. You deserve it," Robin said bitterly.

"Ha!" Ellie barked.

"Aren't you worried? Your child is missing!"

"Right, right. Just like Kipper. It's funny, Alan wouldn't have been able to feel Charlie leave, because he was perched on his costume, but you should have been able to sense Kipper's departure just fine . . ."

"Wrong! If Alan doesn't notice a change in weight, then- Wait. Are you accusing me of setting this whole thing up?!" Robin gasped with indignance.

Ellie nodded. Alan stood beside her and frowned.

"Wh- I-" Robin sputtered.

"And _you'll_ be the next to disappear, right?" Ellie smirked, "Leaving Alan and I to wander around until you jump out and scare us?"

"No, you'll wander around because the couple is always the last to get separated."

"Sure," Ellie said, turning around. Alan followed her up the path.

"Just wait 'til you're all alone! You'll be sorry!"

"Whatever you say, Robin."

Robin huffed and trotted after them. Ellie didn't give her the satisfaction of turning around.

***_TSJPFEW_*** 

They had nearly reached the peak. Alan and Ellie were still holding hands. Robin trudged dismally behind them.

"Do you think we should talk to her?" Alan asked gently. Ellie chuffed.

"Just keep walking. She'll run and hide while we're not looking . . ."

Alan turned around. Robin scowled.

"I'm still here. Thanks for caring."

Alan sighed. Ellie didn't even bother looking back.

"Are you sure we shouldn't _at least _ask her if she's okay?" Alan whispered.

"What? No! Don't encourage her . . ."

"Ellie, you _know_ how she is . . ."

"Yeah, she's a real pain in the ass!"

"I know you don't mean that."

"Right now, I kinda do!" she whispered furiously.

"Ellie . . ."

"Don't you '_Ellie_' me! I've done my best to get through Halloween, and I won't tolerate your patronizing tone of voice . . ."

"I'm not trying to be patronizing. I'm worried about you."

Ellie frowned.

"Don't be. After tonight, I'll be perfectly fine."

"Until next year. And the year after that. When is this going to stop?"

"When people learn to stop treating each other like scare-targets! Halloween is a _bad _time of year . . ."

"For you. But not for everyone. Charlie seems to enjoy it . . ."

"I can see that. I'll bet he was in cahoots with Robin all along. He should know better-"

"Ellie, listen to yourself! You're humbugging a children's holiday! You aren't usually _like_ this. This isn't _you_."

"It's only temporary," Ellie huffed.

"Good!" Robin sneered from behind them, "Because I don't like this Bitch-Ellie at all!"

"_What _did you call m-"

When Ellie spun around, she saw that Robin had disappeared. But how was that possible? Her voice had been so close . . .

Alan blinked.

"Ellie-"

"Oh, shut up! Just head for the peak, so we can get this over with!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Eventually, Alan disappeared as well. Ellie didn't even care anymore. Robin would be jumping out any time now. Any time . . .

Fifteen minutes passed, and _still_ there was no sign of Robin. Boy, she was _really_ committed to her jokes. Maybe she just wanted to watch Ellie suffer.

"Hello, is anyone out there?" Ellie shouted half-heartedly. She trudged through the mist and coughed. The air was getting humid.

"Look, you may as well just scare me now: I already know what you're up to!"

No reply.

Ellie sighed.

"Come on, Robin! I don't have all night!"

An owl glided down from a nearby tree. Its wings made no sound as it flew. Ellie looked around nervously.

"Hello? . . ."

"Hello," a male voice replied. Ellie rolled her eyes.

"And I suppose you're a part of R- AAAAAAAAAH!"

Ellie screamed at the top of her lungs when she saw a pale figure floating above the mists. She waggled her arms and fell backwards in fright. As she examined the ghost, however, Ellie realized that he was not very threatening. He wore a dress-shirt and tie, and was mostly bald. His posture was something of a spindly hunch, and he looked as frail as rice paper.

"You're not scary . . ." Ellie said stupidly.

"No, I guess not. I'm not a very good ghost."

Ellie stared at him for a moment. He floated awkwardly.

"Don't you _recognize_ me?" he prompted.

"Uh . . . You seem a bit familiar . . ."

"Donald. Donald Gennaro. The lawyer . . ."

"Oh . . . You were eaten by the T-Rex!"

"Yeah, and now I'm a ghost."

"Uh-huh. And how is _that _going?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know. I was upset at first, but I've had more than four years to get over it . . ."

"Right . . ." Ellie breathed lightly.

They stared at each other for a long time.

"So, why did you come up to visit me?" Gennaro asked.

"Well, Robin told me that she had seen you-"

"The yellow T-Rex? She scared the living shit out of me!" he croaked.

"But you're . . . I mean . . ."

"I know. I can't die twice. But I don't like carnivores. That's why I stay up here. The mist is too thick for hunting . . ."

Ellie frowned thoughtfully.

"So, why didn't you come down to the human side of Nublar?" she asked.

"I didn't want to scare anybody. But then, you rounded up that army . . ."

"You KNOW about that?" Ellie gasped.

"Sure. I know a lot of things. I'm good at eavesdropping . . ."

"Do you understand theropods, then?"

"Not until they started speaking English."

"Ah. So, what did you do with the others?" Ellie asked.

"You mean, the people you came up with? That wasn't me. I think it might have something to do with those two raptors I saw in the forest yesterday. I overheard them talking about a prank . . ."

"Buzz and Rocky . . . Oh, I'm gonna _kill_ them!" Ellie growled. Gennaro shrugged.

"Well, if you want _my_ opinion, this might just be the perfect opportunity to play a little prank of your own . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Buzz and Rocky tried their best not to snigger as they waded through the mist. The rest of the gang trailed solemnly behind them.

"You know, you really shouldn't do this . . ." Alan hummed.

"Aw, c'mon! Don't spoil the fun . . ." Rocky whined.

"I'm with Alan on this one," Robin sighed, "You shouldn't make Ellie mad. _Madder_."

"I thought you _liked_ scaring people . . ." Buzz complained. Robin stood up straight and glowered.

"Not Ellie. She doesn't _like_ being scared. If I had known about this beforehand, I'd-"

"Shhh! Here she comes . . ."

Ellie was jogging down the path nervously. Her leafy headpiece was crooked, and she looked out of sorts. Buzz and Rocky crept slowly through the fog. When she passed by, they jumped out and shrieked.

'SCREEEEEEEEE!'

"Oh, thank goodness, I've found you! There's a _ghost_ on this mountain!" she said urgently. Buzz and Rocky stared at her with confusion. Her reaction wasn't _quite _what they had been expecting . . .

"A . . . A ghost? But-"

Ellie's eyes went wide.

"Behind you . . ."

Buzz and Rocky turned to look over their shoulders. There was nothing there.

"What on earth . . ."

When they looked back, Ellie was gone.

"Um . . . Where did you go?" Rocky whimpered.

"BLAAARGH!"

A ghost burst out of the ground and waved its arms in the air. Buzz and Rocky screamed and tried to run away. They tripped over each other and lay thrashing on the ground. Ellie stepped out from behind a tree and began to laugh uncontrollably. She put her hands on her knees and folded over.

"What's going on? What's-"

Alan stopped dead in his tracks.

"G-g-ghost . . ."

"It's okay, Alan!" Ellie said through laughter, "It's Donald Gennaro!"

"The lawyer?"

Ellie nodded.

"I'll explain everything on the way down."

***_TSJPFEW_***

And explain, she did. Everyone was a bit shocked to see a ghost (except Robin, of course), but the initial terror was soon replaced by a _how-does-this-work_ attitude. They each took turns jumping through Gennaro, who was happy to receive the attention. With a little persuasion, he decided that it would be generally beneficial to travel back with them. Ellie got the feeling that he was a little bit lonely on his own, so she offered him a part-time job as a babysitter. He accepted wholeheartedly, and they strolled back to the Visitors' Center with a spring in their step.

"Hey, Robin! I guess you were right after all!" Kipper beamed. Robin shrugged.

"Yeah, but I won't rub it in anyone's face."

Ellie bit her lip.

"Robin, I'm sorry about-"

"Naw, it's fine. I know this time of year isn't your favorite."

"It _still _doesn't excuse my behavior," Ellie replied with remorse. Robin smiled.

"Ack, what's a good friendship without a couple of bumps?"

Ellie hugged her leg.

"Awww . . ."

"So what kind of ghost-powers do you have?" Charlie asked Gennaro.

"Well, I can fly, walk through walls, turn invisible, pick up small objects . . ."

"And brainwash compsognathus?"

"What? No! Where'd you get THAT idea?"

"The compsognathus . . . They were acting like zombies . . ." Alan explained with confusion.

At that very moment, a woozy compsognathus stumbled out of a bush.

"Geoffrey! How are you? What's going on?" Ellie asked.

The tiny dinosaur teetered back and forth on his spindly legs like a drunkard. His tongue lolled out the side of his mouth stupidly. He looked up at her with glazed eyes.

"Hi Ellie . . ." he drawled, "Some party, huh?"

"Geoffrey, are you drunk?" Ellie asked seriously.

"Whaaa? No! I jus' got back from South Mountain. Everyone is up there . . ."

"Whatever for?" Kipper wondered.

"Didn't you know?" Geoffrey blathered, "It's compsognathus mating season . . ."

"Oh, geez . . ." Ellie said, rubbing her forehead.

"Well, that's _one_ mystery solved," Alan laughed uncomfortably.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Robin blinked.

"So the stegosaurus-"

"BOUNDARIES!" everyone shouted at once.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Buzz and Rocky sat dejectedly at the minibar with solemn expressions. They sulked and moped as they downed their orange juice, disappointed in the evening's lack of payoff. They had spent _ages_ setting up the prank, and it had all been for naught.

"Some night, huh?" Buzz sighed.

Rocky nodded miserably. Down the bar, Val was swaying back and forth woozily. A plethora of empty glasses sat in from of her. Muldoon was listening to her politely, not knowing quite what to say to get her to leave.

"So I says to Mabel, I says- 'He's not coming back, honey! He packed a suitcase and everything . . .'"

She hiccupped. Muldoon nodded awkwardly.

"Has anyone e'er told you that you have beautiful eyesss . . ."

She slumped forward and passed out. Muldoon got off his chair and backed away very slowly.

"Geez, _someone's_ having a good time!" Rocky grumbled.

"She won't be so happy in the morning . . ." Buzz chuckled.

They stared at everyone in the rotunda. The theropods were dancing to "Monster Mash" with big smiles on their faces. A struthiomimus with a fake afro and magenta glasses was really rocking the party. The bambiraptors had stacked themselves up in a pyramid to be his dance partner. They teetered precariously and collapsed in a heap. Everyone giggled and helped them up. Rocky sighed.

"Maybe it's a _good_ thing we didn't scare Ellie . . ."

"What do you mean?" Buzz asked.

"Well, I dunno. I guess Halloween isn't _just_ about the scaring, you know? I mean, look at everyone!"

Buzz rolled his eyes.

"You mean, the costumes? Most people just wear animal ears . . ."

"No, no. Not _that_. Thefun . . ." Rocky said whimsically.

"Scaring people is fun . . ." Buzz muttered.

"Maybe. But I think the best part about scaring people is when they realize that everything is going to be okay . . ."

"I guess you're right," Buzz sighed with defeat, "It's a good thing we never put those starfish in her bed . . ."

Rocky's eyes went wide.

"I thought you said that was still on."

"Nah. Too easy. You took them out, right?"

A shrill scream came from the next room over. Buzz and Rocky cringed.

"Should we run?"

"Definitely."

They pattered across the rotunda. Ellie burst through the door, brandishing a wooden broom. The dancing dinosaurs cleared a path for her as she swatted the two brothers. Robin and Yannick observed the chase passively.

"You think she'll catch up to them?" Yannick asked casually. Robin shrugged.

"Well, raptors can run up to sixty clicks, but I'll bet an angry Ellie could probably top that."

They watched as she whacked them to the floor. They flinched as she walloped them repeatedly with her besom.

"You wanna dance with Disco Stru?" Robin asked.

"Yup."

They cleared off as Ellie resumed her pursuit. The theropods ignored her and continued to dance gleefully.

Halloween was an _excellent_ time of year.

***_TSJPFEW_***

It does not snow in Costa Rica. Ellie knew this, of course, as it was her third Christmas on Nublar, but what she DIDN'T expect was the shipload of stuffing that Robin had ordered from the mainland to emulate the winter aesthetic. As it had been with the two previous Halloweens and Christmases, Robin had taken over the party planning like some sort of crazy, yellow, holiday juggernaut. Ellie enjoyed the festivities, but she hoped to abstain from too much celebration. On their limited budget (even diamonds couldn't pay for everything), it wasn't wise to be like the grasshopper who sang all summer. For this reason, Ellie and Alan refused to tell Robin their birthdates. They allowed her to celebrate Charlie's birthday, however, which was conveniently placed on the Fourth of July. He was two years old now, and Ellie had stopped counting the months. He still wasn't growing like the other raptors, and that was of great concern. Oddly enough, he was now about the same age as his biological mother had been when she died, but he remained small and innocent, perhaps rightly so. He wasn't the only raptor with stunted growth, however, as Kipper had hatched an irregular daughter in the middle of November. Already, she was dwarfed by her siblings, though this meant that Charlie finally had someone to relate to.

Buzz and Rocky hadn't had any children of their own, but Bucky had settled down with a nice raptorette named Jolene. Oh, how hard it was to stop Robin from singing every time someone said her name. Aside from that, the raptor population was at equilibrium.

Val had decided not to have any more children, as she was getting too old for such things. Were she a human, she might be pushing forty, and was therefore one of Ellie's "older" friends, even though she was numerically five years old. She had enough trouble, anyway, with Lance and Crusher. They didn't have children (thank god), but Lance (in particular) had made a hobby of incessantly and enthusiastically romancing the females of Raptor Valley. One raptor had even spontaneously changed gender to keep him at bay.

Aside from these minor hiccups, everyone seemed to be family-oriented nowadays, especially with Christmas right around the corner. It was the twenty-third, and _already_, everyone was chomping at the bit. The bambiraptors had little bells around their necks and the compsognathus had assigned themselves the prestigious post of "candygram supervisors". The herrerasaurs were in charge of the lights and the gallimimus worked in the kitchen. Even the dilophosaurs seemed to be having fun setting up the Christmas tree in the Visitors' Center rotunda.

Amongst all of this joy and merriment, Ellie couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. After the Halloween party, Alan had promised that they would call Ian to see how he was doing. Throughout November, they had stalled and stalled until it became clear that neither of them wanted to be the first to explain everything to him.

Even though the mainland was well aware that Sorna existed (and all Five Deaths, for that matter), Nublar was another kettle of fish. Ellie dreaded the discovery of the island more than anything else in the world, and thus did everything in her power to protect it.

Unfortunately, December was notorious for inspiring all of those mushy-gushy feelings, and Ellie couldn't stop herself from dialing Ian's number.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Hello?"

"Ian!"

"Errr, hi. Who is this?"

"It's Ellie . . ."

"Ellie? Ellie Sattler?"

"Uh-huh. How are you?"

"Well, aside from being chased around by a T-Rex recently, I'm fine."

"Right. I heard. Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm over it. Just be thankful that _you_ don't have to deal with any more dinosaurs!"

". . ."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. So, youreally went to Sorna?"

"Yeah. Me and Sarah. And Kelly. She fought a raptor with her gymnastics . . ."

"Boy, your jokes have _really_ gone downhill . . ."

"Haha. Right. How exactly did you get this number?"

"I asked around. Why?"

"Is there a reason you called?"

"I . . . I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"What, after four years? Why now?"

"Four . . ."

"Yes, four. Can't you count?"

"Do you . . . remember anything _in between_ those years?"

"Sure, I do."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I broke my nondisclosure agreement and was fired."

"Oh."

"Is that all, then?"

"No. I was wondering if you'd like to come over for Chr- For the holidays."

"Why would I do_ that_? It's not like I, uh, know you all that well . . ."

"You don't?"

"Well, no. We haven't spoken for-"

"Four years. I know."

"Yeah. You still with Alan?"

"Naturally."

"Whereabouts do you two live?"

"Uh . . . On an island . . ."

"After what we went through? I hope it isn't anything like Isla Nublar . . ."

"Actually . . . it's _exactly_ like Nublar. It _is _Nublar. We're living on Isla Nublar."

". . . You're joking . . ."

"No. But I can explain! See, two years ago, Henry Wu called all three of us to Nublar because we were infected with a virus. Well, I was actually the only one who had to worry about it, but you stayed anyway. We had a fight and scared the living daylights out of a nurse, but we made up and went swimming. Robin told us about a machine that could open other dimensions. I didn't really believe her, but she was right all along! Later, we repaired the lamp you broke and tried to figure out what was going on. We didn't have to wait long, because the next day, I turned into a T-Rex. I wandered around for a bit, but when we reunited, these two french baryonyx attacked us and pushed me off a cliff. I was rescued by a marine creature and I washed up on the beach. My spirit pteranodon told me that I had a starfish on my face, so I had a panic attack. Eventually, I was captured by rebel raptors, who had the ability to fly and speak. I found diamonds in a volcano and got drunk on dilophosaurus venom, but my raptor friends helped me round up an army. By the time we started a war, you were a utahraptor and Robin was an allosaurus, and we got split up into several dimensions. It was okay, though, because we sent Wu through the portal as a spinosaurus to please the transdimensional Troödon. After that, I ate a piece of Roquefort cheese so that I could speak with Hammond, and Alan and I were given full custody of the island. We adopted a baby raptor- he's being babysat by Donald Gennaro's ghost- and now we're living among theropods!"

". . ."

"Ian? . . ."

"I'm hanging up now . . ."

"DON'T! Please, Ian! You have to believe me!"

"Why?"

"Because we're friends . . ."

"FRIENDS? We're acquaintances, not even! God, I don't know why I'm still on the phone. You sound unstable . . ."

"I know it sounds crazy, but I can prove it! Just gimme a second, I'll find Val-"

"Goodbye, Dr. Sattler."

"Ian!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Click.

The line went dead. Ellie sighed and hung up the phone. She didn't know what she had been expecting. Her story was unbelievable, at best, and Ian wasn't really chummy with her anymore. Why should he be, anyway? Ellie had put the safety of Isla Nublar before the safety of her own friend. If she had only told the world that Ian wasn't lying about Jurassic Park, maybe he wouldn't have been so cold. In any case, it was too late now.

"Ellie! I found my Jingle Cats CD! Now we can _really_ get this party sta- . . . What's wrong?"

Ellie wiped away a tear.

"Nothing, Robin. I just . . . I just called Ian."

"You did _WHAT_?! Without Alan? Without _me_?"

"I'm sorry, Robin. I wasn't thinking."

"I'll say! I warned you, didn't I? It always ends in tears!"

"I thought it would be different . . ."

"Ack! Maybe. Ian was a good friend . . ."

"He was."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Ellie sighed.

"I'm sorry about your mother, Robin."

"It's fine. You guys are all the family I need."

Ellie hugged Robin's leg.

Wren Smith had been particularly cruel to Robin when she got in touch, and it still seemed to be having some effect on her demeanor. She still bounced around in her usual Robin-ish way, but every now and then, Ellie would catch her sulking in the corner when she thought that no one was watching. Ellie knew firsthand how _evil _mothers could be, and the thought of something tragic happening to Robin was beyond comprehension. She just wasn't _meant_ to be dark and brooding. Seeing her this way was frightening, to say the least.

"If you ever want to talk about it-"

"Naw, I think that I've said all that needs to be said. Besides, now that her last chance at having grandchildren is gone, there'll be no reason for her to bother me."

"Oh, Robin . . ."

"Don't be sad: it's almost Christmas! Who wants grumpy people around, anyway? We're gonna have tons of fun, with or without Ian!"

"You're right. I just wish he remembered everything we had been through . . ."

"Ack! Even if he did, he'd probably still be an asshole. There's no pleasing the Wizard of 'Uhs'!"

"Maybe."

"Cheer up! We need to get some eggnog into you . . ."

"I thought you didn't drink . . ." Ellie said coyly. Robin shrugged.

"It's non-alcoholic. But even if it wasn't, I think it's about time I tried something new."

"Really?"

"Would I lie? On purpose?" she beamed. Ellie smiled.

"Alright! Let's nog it up!"

"Ha! 'Nog it up' . . . I like that! Can I put it on a T-shirt?"

"Only if I get royalties . . ."

They walked down the hall and laughed merrily. It may have been a bit _too_ cheerful, but what else could a person do to shrug off such heartache? In any case, they always had each other, which was more than enough.

And Ian?

Well, Ellie had no doubt that he'd figure things out, one way or another . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

One morning, upon awakening from troubled dreams, Ian Malcolm found himself, in his bed, transformed into a monstrous theropod.

'HOLY SHIT!'

He kicked his sinewy legs in the air and examined the sickle-shaped claws on his inner toes. Between them, he saw a spiny tail, which twitched in agitation as he waggled around. Panicked, he rolled out of bed, only to find that his prickly back had snagged the sheets. He thrashed around with the white blankets on top of him, hissing unpleasantly.

When he was free, he turned and saw his reflection in the mirror. He was definitely a dinosaur of some kind, though he was too big to be a velociraptor. His head nearly grazed the ceiling, and he had very little tail-room. Flexing his muscles, Ian saw that the quills responded aggressively to his movement, sliding in and out of his back. He twirled one way, then another, then the first way again. On his last spin, he knocked a lamp off the bedside table with his tail. It crashed to the ground and shattered into five or six pieces.

"Ian? Are you okay?"

Oh, god. Sarah was in the kitchen. What would she think when she saw him? This was very bad . . .

'Sarah . . . Something's happened . . .'

He heard footsteps coming down the hall. His black quills undulated randomly as he hyperventilated.

Ian closed his eyes. It would be okay. Sarah _loved_ dinosaurs. She wouldn't hurt him. She wouldn't be afraid . . .

"Ian, did you break my-"

When she opened the door, Sarah stood very still. Her eyes went wide.

'Sarah, don't freak out . . .'

She screamed and slammed the door. Ian ran after her. Not knowing his own strength, he burst straight through the door, leaving the frame in splinters. Sarah continued to dash down the hall. Ian followed her, knocking a portrait of a woman in furs to the ground. He eventually caught up with her in the kitchen, where he skidded across the tile and crashed painfully to the ground. Sarah ran to the other side of the marble island as he righted himself.

'Sarah! Sarah, it's me!'

She stood shivering against the countertop.

'Can't you understand me?'

She couldn't. Ian looked around for something that he could use to communicate with her. He tried to grab a ballpoint pen in his mouth, but it snapped between his teeth and sprayed ink everywhere. Meanwhile, Sarah had armed herself with a frying pan. Ian stepped forward slowly.

'Sarah, don't hit me . . .'

She flinched.

'Shhh . . . Put the frying pan down,' he purred.

She lowered her weapon slightly.

'Good, good. I'm not going to hurt you. You're safe. Just calm down . . .'

When he was close enough, he lowered his neck in submission.

'Everything is going to be just f-'

Without warning, she conked him on the head.

***_TSJPFEW_***

'Uuurrrgh . . .'

When Ian regained consciousness, he was lying on the carpet. He tried to speak, but his snout had been tied shut with polypropylene film rope. The rest of his body had been shoved into a thick sleeping bag, which was also bound by ropes and wire. It was much too small for a dinosaur such as himself, and his quills poked through the fabric like a spiky chrysalis. Ian tried to stand up, but his legs and arms were tied together inside the bag. Sarah wasn't taking any chances.

Speaking of Sarah, Ian could hear her whispering. When he turned his head, he saw her pacing in the other room with the phone dragging across the floor behind her. Ian cocked his head to hear her better.

". . . right in the middle of the room! I don't know _where _it came from!"

A pause.

"Of _course _not! Ian would never bring a dinosaur into the house. Besides, it attacked me, so it can't be tame . . ."

_Attacked_? That was ridiculous! And hadn't SHE been the one to hit him with a frying pan? . . .

"I don't know. I think it's a utahraptor, but it has these _quills_ . . ."

Pause.

"I have no idea if they're barbed, but I don't want to find out . . ."

_Damn right!_ Ian's back bristled with anger as he growled.

"Hang on, I think it might be awake."

Ian closed his eyes and lay his head on the floor.

"It hasn't moved. I hope I didn't kill it . . ."

She very well _could_ have, waving the frying pan around like that!

"I might have to call Animal Services. Or InGen. I haven't decided yet . . ."

Uh-oh. Ian couldn't let himself be captured. He'd have to come up with a plan. But what could he do, when he was _tied up_ like this? Maybe he could convince her to let him out . . .

Ian whimpered like a puppy. He wasn't sure if he could pull off the "adorable victim" ploy, but it was worth a shot.

"Hang on. I gotta go. I'll call you later."

Pause.

"I'll be fine. Bye."

Ian heard the phone click. A few seconds later, Sarah pushed nervously through the door with the frying pan in her hands. Ian whimpered again and looked up at her with big eyes. She paused, then kneeled down with trepidation. Ian sniveled pitifully.

"Shhh . . . It's okay . . ." Sarah cooed, touching the tip of his snout gently, "It's okay . . ."

Ian whimpered a little louder. Sarah stroked the ridge of his nose.

"Shhh . . . Shhh . . ." she whispered.

This went on for several minutes. Ian tried not to show his agitation. Couldn't this woman do anything but pet him? He wanted to _escape_, not _cuddle_!

"Hush little baby, don't you cry . . ."

Oh, for crying out loud!

Sarah pulled away as Ian snorted. Before she could reach for her frying pan, Ian resumed his whimpering. She cradled his cheek in her left hand while she rubbed his chin. What _was_ this, a _petting zoo_? Still, it _did _feel kind of nice . . .

Ian didn't realize that he was purring until Sarah lifted his head onto her lap. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop himself from closing his eyes and going limp.

"There's a good boy. Everything is going to be fine . . ."

Christ! What was he, a dog?

"It's Christmas Eve, you know. I wonder if _you're_ my present . . ."

Highly unlikely.

"You know, Ian won't be too happy to see you when he gets home. He doesn't like dinosaurs. Or Christmas. Not that he _has_ to, I mean, but I come from a different culture, so you'd think-"

Ian stopped purring. Sarah pulled back her hand. After a few seconds, Ian forced himself to calm down. Sarah leaned in a little closer. Her swaying, red hair tickled Ian's snout.

"I'm going to tell you a secret."

Oh, goodie.

"Ian hasn't been very sympathetic lately . . ."

Wait.

'Sarah, what are you _talking _about?' Ian whispered through his teeth.

"Last night, he went _on _and _on _about that Sattler lady . . ."

'Uh, yeah. Because she was clearly crazy!' Ian hissed.

"I mean, she was clearly crazy, but I think he was being kind of harsh . . ."

'You never told me you felt that way . . .'

"I didn't tell him how I felt, though. He gets kind of sensitive, if you know what I mean."

'I _don't_ know what you mean. This is the first time I'm hearing _any _of this!'

"Maybe I should be more honest with him, I dunno," she sighed.

'Please. Be honest. What are you afraid of?'

"Ah, but he wouldn't listen, anyway," Sarah huffed, "He's kind of pigheaded . . ."

'EXCUSE ME?'

"Stop squirming. I'm trying to talk. Anyway, I'm starting to wonder if this is going to work . . ."

'If _what's_ going to work? Oh, Sarah . . . Please say you're not about to break up with me!'

"He's been so distant lately . . ."

'Sarah, there's a reason! I promise, if you just give me a chance-'

"I don't even know if he loves me anymore . . ."

'Don't say that! Don't _say_ that! I love you! You know I do . . .'

She held his head close to her own and began to cry. There was nothing he could do to comfort her.

'Sarah, Sarah, Sarah . . .'

"What am I going to do?"

'Don't do anything! I can fix this . . .'

"Everything is turning to shit . . . And now I'm talking to a _stupid dinosaur_!"

She slammed his head on the ground and stood up. Ian watched as she sat on the edge of the bed with her head in her hands. He pulled himself closer by grabbing the carpet with his front teeth. He slid slowly towards her feet, silently willing her not to move. She sniffled and looked down at him. He stared at her with pleading eyes. She frowned.

'Sarah . . .'

She stood up brusquely and marched out of the room. Ian watched as she picked the phone up off the floor and dialed a long number.

"Hi, is this Animal Services?"

No, no, no! He couldn't let her _do_ this!

With all of his strength, Ian kicked both legs simultaneously and tore through the sleeping bag. He leaned forward and nibbled furiously at the ropes. Once his sickle-claws were free, it was easy to remove the wires around his snout and arms. When this was accomplished, he ran into the other room and sliced the telephone cord in half. Sarah shrieked and dashed out the door.

'Sarah, stop!'

She scurried down the hall. Ian followed.

'Please, slow down!'

She didn't. Ian continued to pursue her until she reached the front entranceway. She grabbed the doorknob, but the door became jammed under the sudden rattling. Sarah glanced over her shoulder as Ian stepped forward, still jimmying the doorknob.

'Sarah, just listen to me . . .'

Her eyes darted to the kitchen and back.

'Don't even _think _about it!'

She crept along the wall. Ian circled her.

'You can't hurt me. You _won't_ hurt me. Don't _do_ this, Sarah . . .'

She made a run for it.

'STOP!'

Before he knew what he was doing, Ian swung his tail in her direction. A shower of quills pierced the wall around her. A single spine landed in the palm of her right hand. She shivered, then fell to the ground.

'SARAH!'

Ian rushed over as Sarah lay motionless on the floor. The veins around the quill were becoming black with some sort of poison. Ian yanked out the spike and tried to push the fluid away. It was already too deep. He watched in horror as Sarah's eyes clouded over. Her temporal veins began to darken, and her lips turned an icy blue. It was as though she had hypothermia, but she wasn't shivering. She was paralyzed.

'Sarah! Sarah, no!'

Her eyes stared bleakly in front of her. Ian held her close.

'Oh god! Oh god! Please don't die! I didn't mean to hurt you . . .'

She was very cold. Ian put his head over her shoulder and started sobbing.

'Please . . . Please, Sarah . . .'

She didn't answer. Ian closed his eyes.

"Please . . ."

He continued to weep for what felt like an eternity. Then, her chin shifted on his shoulder.

"Ian . . ."

"Sarah!" Ian gasped.

"Wh . . . What happened? Are you crying?"

"Y- Maybe. Wait, you recognize me? . . ."

Ian held his hands up. No claws.

"Ian, what are you talking ab-"

He held his finger to her lips.

"Shhh! Don't say a word. Give me a minute."

He jogged to the bedroom.

"Ian? . . ."

He rounded the corner and sat back down in front of her.

"I was going to wait until tonight, but I think this situation requires_ immediate_ action."

"Ian, what the hell-"

"Sarah, I'm sorry for being an asshole. Not just lately, but in general. I'm very stupid."

"What? You can't be-"

"Serious? Believe me: I am. And I have a _very _serious question for you . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Wake up! Wake up!" Charlie bubbled as he jumped up and down on Ellie and Alan's bed.

"Urrrgh . . ." Alan groaned.

"It's CHRISTMAS!" Charlie yelled brightly.

Ellie sat up and rubbed her eyes. Alan fell over the side of the bed.

"You okay?" Ellie asked drowsily.

"Mph."

Charlie tugged at Ellie's sock excitedly. She batted him away gently and yawned.

"Charlie, what time is it? You know we're not supposed to get up until eight . . ."

Charlie pouted indignantly.

"That's not fair! The guests got here an hour before I even woke up!"

"Guests?" Ellie echoed with confusion.

"Ellieeeeeeeee! Alaaaaaaaaan!"

Robin burst through the door. She seemed out of breath.

"You're gonna . . . want to see this . . . Hurry down . . . to the rotunda."

Ellie frowned and grabbed her robe. She got out of bed and accidentally stepped on Alan, who had fallen asleep on the floor. He snorted irritably. Charlie helped him up, and the three of them sped over to the top of the main staircase. When they arrived, they saw two people waiting below.

"Oh my god . . ." Ellie whispered.

They clattered down the staircase and ran over to meet their visitors.

"Ian . . ."

"I decided to come, after all," he said casually, "I brought Sarah along. I hope you don't mind . . ."

"Not at all," Ellie breathed, still in shock.

"How did you _get_ here?" Alan asked. Ian shrugged.

"John owed me a favor."

"Well, this is _fantastic_!" Ellie beamed, "We're going to have a wonderful time!"

"Just as soon as we get out of our pajamas . . ." Alan said sheepishly.

***_TSJPFEW_***

It was a wonderful party, complete with everything one might expect from the holidays. There was singing, dancing, and more than enough tinsel to sink a ship. Ian and Sarah had brought many gifts, including a bottle of wine which, inevitably, contributed to a very drunk Robin. It was even funnier than it sounded.

Aside from the general party atmosphere, there was quite a bit of family time and friendly bonding. Kipper came over with his children, and Bucky as well. Alan and Ellie had fallen asleep by the fireplace at some point in the day, so the kids were warned to stay away from them. Charlie, however, rolled around at their feet, chewing on the dog-toy Ian had brought him (perhaps not the most sensitive gift, but he seemed to enjoy it just fine). Sarah couldn't be pulled away from the dinosaurs, who answered her questions as best they could. Ian tended to avoid the theropods, with the exception of Robin, who tried her best to get him to remember the events that took place two years prior. He seemed to have a vague recollection, but nothing more.

Eventually, once Charlie was sent to bed, Alan, Ellie, Ian, Sarah, Yannick, and Robin all gathered by the fireplace to spend some "grown-up" time together. This turned out to be nothing more than a discussion on whether or not there were any green mammals, but they enjoyed it, nonetheless.

"What about sloths?" Sarah suggested, "Some sloths are green."

"Algae," Ellie hummed, "Only because of algae."

"Guys, we've been talking about this for an hour. There are _no_ green mammals!" Ian sighed.

"Maybe you're right . . ." Alan grumbled.

"So, what have you two been up to lately?" Ellie asked to change the subject.

"Oh, the usual . . . I woke up as a utahraptor yesterday."

Ellie blinked.

"I'm serious. Sarah, tell them."

"It's true," she confirmed.

"That's . . . odd. I thought we had cured you of the disease."

And suddenly, Ellie gave a little jump and looked around the room.

"Troödon?" Alan guessed.

"Troödon," Ellie confirmed.

Ian and Sarah were very confused.

"It's hard to explain," Ellie sighed.

Ian stood up.

"Well, I guess we'd better get going . . ."

"So soon?" Ellie asked.

"We're having dinner with Sarah's parents tomorrow. But we'll visit you again sometime . . ."

"Wait, just give me a second!" Alan said, running brusquely upstairs. Ellie escorted Ian and Sarah to the door. As they put on their shoes, Robin leaned over and whispered to Ellie.

"I think I figured out why they've been so busy . . ."

Ellie raised her eyebrow.

"What? The utahraptor thing? That's hardly-"

"No, no, no. Look!" she whispered, pointing to Sarah's left hand.

"Oh . . ." Ellie said sneakily.

"I'm back!" Alan puffed as he skidded across the floor.

He was carrying a plush parcel in his arms. He handed it to Ian.

"For you."

"Aw, thanks, Al!" he said, wrapping him in a bear hug.

The group shared a final goodbye, promising that they would keep in touch. The covenant of friendship between them would never again be broken.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ian and Sarah often visited in the months that followed, and they became something of an extended family to the Nublarians. It was funny how camaraderie was blind to time, space, and even species. On that note, Robin never contacted her mother again, though it was not a withheld action, per se. She simply didn't _need_ her anymore, as she had more than enough family on the island. Ellie, Alan, and Charlie continued to live their lives as usual, though perhaps with a little more stress now that they had the extra pressure of supervising nondisclosure.

Ian and Sarah eventually moved into a bigger house, taking with them the usual furniture and such. Of all the sentimental pieces, however, Ian found that many fond memories lay within Alan's gift, which lit up the room in more ways than one.

And thus, the blue apatosaurus lamp sat on his bedside table, cracked and faded, but never broken.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Love is a funny thing. More accurately, it's a hideous, sickening, _repugnant _emotion that should be purged from the collective consciousness of mankind.

'Do we detect a slight chill in the air?'

Who said that?

'The Troödon.'

I should have known. Just my luck . . .

'It has nothing to do with luck. We sensed a disturbance in the text. A disturbance that YOU created.'

I haven't even finished the first paragraph yet . . .

'Yes, and you managed to completely miss the point of everything you've worked for in the first two sentences.'

Please elaborate.

'You're letting your negative emotions influence the story's tone.'

So what? I'm the narrator. I can do what I want.

'Wrong.'

Oh yeah? Says who?

'Says us.'

That's cute. If you think you can change my mind-

'We KNOW we can change your mind.'

Mhm. Sure. Good luck with that.

'It has nothing to do with luck.'

You know what? I don't have to take this. You can narrate your own goddamn story!

'We must insist that you stay.'

Goodbye . . .

'Don't you want the holiday specials to be a trilogy?'

Two is enough. Adios!

'If you leave now, you'll forever be unhappy.'

Ha! I can be happy if I want to. There's nothing stopping me!

'What about Desmond?'

. . . 

Who told you about that?

'We know all.'

I _really_ regret giving you superpowers. Very well. "Illuminate" me.

'It is not that simple. We must travel to the Land of Memories.'

Not _my_ memories, I hope.

'Yours, and others.'

Great. So is this some sort of metafiction?

'Wasn't it always?'

Smartass.

'Tell me, are you ready to embark on an emotional journey through time and space?'

Inter-dimensional feel-trip? Meh. Why not?

'Prepare to enter the Land of Memories.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

Okay, boys. Where are we?

'Why don't _you_ tell _us_?'

Hm, well let's see . . . Ooh! I recognize this place! This is the sandy cliff from "Last Day". Are we going to follow Robin's story?

'In part, yes.'

Cool. I've always wondered why she hooked up with Yannick so suddenly. Then again, it _is_ Robin.

'Watch.'

. . .

Hey, isn't it a bit, erm, _blank_ in here?

'You're still the narrator.'

Right, right. Can I keep my sassy tone of voice?

'If you think it will help.'

Cool.

Yannick stood mournfully over Robin's dead body. Consumed by guilt, he shook uncontrollably as he reflected upon the murder he had committed. Not five minutes ago, he had been dead set on killing everyone in sight. Now that the nightmare had worn off, the reality of his situation began to sink in. He was a murderer. He was a MURDERER.

Yannick had practically mauled Robin's upper half. A bent crescent of tooth-shaped wounds ran across her front and back like a bloody crown. The red fluid was still seeping out, though it was no longer pumped by her heart. For this reason, Robin had a deathly pallor, which didn't suit her at all. Robin was the kind of person who was meant to be alive. She had died with her eyes open.

Yannick shivered. Kneeling down beside her, he unfastened the metal bracelet that was no doubt from Wu. Would it be right to bury Robin himself, when he had been the one to kill her? He might not find anyone else to do it for him . . .

Yannick jumped back in alarm when Robin gasped and clenched her fists. She started to breathe rapidly, her muscles twitching at random. Yannick stood up and backed away. How could he have forgotten the PMR? That bracelet must have been made of dysprosium . . .

Should I describe the transformation, or would that gross people out?

'Are you going to compare it to grilled cheese again?'

Ew, no. Fast forward.

When it seemed that Robin was one hundred percent dinosaur, Yannick stepped forward cautiously.

'Robin, are you okay?'

She growled.

'I'm sorry for killing you. But . . . But you're alive now, so no harm done, right? . . .'

She snapped her jaws inches away from his face.

'I can't decide whether you recognize me or not.'

Robin roared angrily.

'Please don't make me hurt you again!'

Yannick stepped backwards as she attacked.

'Stop it, Robin! Stop it! You don't know what you're doing!'

She continued to lash out at him. He shuffled away nervously.

'Robin, please! This isn't _like_ you . . .'

She snarled.

'I mean, yes, you strangled me with an IV cord, but you're usually very nice-'

He cried out as she caught the end of his tail.

'Ow! What's the _matter _with you? Why won't you get your memories back?'

He hoped that it wouldn't take a murder to snap her out of this. Yannick searched his recollection for something that might help her to remember who she was.

'Robin, listen to me. You work at InGen. You're a scientist. You like that thing with the pig . . . Was it Babe? Gordy? Wait! Charlotte's Web! You like Charlotte's Web!'

She wasn't backing down. Yannick gulped.

'Uh, let's see . . . You're friends with the bambiraptors! Um . . . You like movies . . .'

Robin growled and made another lunge for his tail.

'Ouch! Listen, a few weeks ago, you came up with a brilliant idea to save us from the raptors. We set off the speed radar, just like you do every time you drive . . .'

She barked and grabbed his arm. Yannick shrieked as she pulled him to the ground, stepping on his side to immobilize him.

'Please don't do this, Robin! I _know_ you; you're _better_ than this! You're too _nice_ to kill me!'

She leaned forward and growled.

'You're attractive, bold, bubbly, caring, charming, cheerful, confident, creative, dynamic, energetic, friendly, funny, generous, gentle, honest, imaginative, kind, lively, loyal, optimistic, outgoing, perky, persistent, positive, pretty, proactive, quirky, romantic, sincere, sweet, thoughtful, upbeat, warm, witty, and humble,' he blathered quickly.

'Really?'

Yannick opened his eyes. Robin was staring down at him with a big smile on her face.

He coughed.

'No. I just needed you to stop attacking me.'

'Oh.'

She turned away sadly. Yannick stood up and shook off the dust.

'If I'd known that you could be swayed by a couple of compliments, I don't think I would have taken that fight so seriously. What kind of a person changes their mind because of a _stupid compliment_?' he huffed.

'Someone who doesn't get compliments very often.'

Yannick felt a twinge of pity as Robin walked away with her head held low. He looked around, then followed her over the hill.

'Where are you going?'

'To find Ellie, Alan, and Ian. They'll be needing my help soon.'

'What? They don't need you!'

Oh, that had come out wrong, hadn't it?

'I mean, what could you_ possibly_ do to help them?' Yannick asked, correcting himself, 'You're a dinosaur!'

'I can't let Wu hold them hostage,' she said with determination.

'If you try to save them, you'll be killed!' Yannick barked.

She turned around sharply and stared straight into his eyes.

'I won't stand by while my friends are put in a dangerous situation,' she hissed.

Yannick stepped backwards awkwardly.

'What does it matter to you, anyway?' Robin continued, turning around, 'I'm sure your world would go on turning if I died. You might even show up to dance on my grave!'

Yannick frowned.

'Hey, I don't like you, but that doesn't mean I want you to _die_.'

'That's not what you would have said ten minutes ago . . .'

Yannick snarled.

'Fine. Be that way. Heartless wench!'

'Misogynistic pig!'

'Attention-seeking bottom-feeder!'

'Filthy low-life!'

'Vile woman!'

'Murderer!'

Yannick shrunk away at the sting of her last insult. He watched as she disappeared over the hill. As much as he hated to admit it, she had a point.

I'd say it's about time for a star-transition, wouldn't you?

'Indubitably.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

After wandering around for a few hours, Yannick found Robin at the edge of the northern lake. She was sitting in the grass with her chin in the sand. When he got closer, it became clear that something was very wrong. Robin hiccupped and sniffed noisily, and large tears dripped down her dinosaur cheeks. She looked very upset . . .

Perfect! This was his chance to redeem himself!

'Robin? . . .' he said gently.

She turned her head and frowned.

'What are _YOU_ doing here?'

'I'm just checking up on you. Are you okay?'

'I'M A DINOSAUR! And I can't find my friends . . .'

'I'll help you look!' he suggested brightly. Robin snorted.

'You're being awful nice . . .' she said sarcastically. Yannick sat down next to her.

'Am I not usually nice? . . .'

'As a matter of fact, no!' Robin hissed, 'You poisoned my bambiraptors, beat me to a pulp in the clinic, and murdered me in front of my friends!'

Yannick shrunk away.

'I'm sorry . . .'

'Liar! You're not _sorry_! Why are you even trying to impress me, huh?'

Why WAS he trying to impress her?

'Uh . . .'

'Forget it. Just leave me alone.'

As she turned to leave, Yannick tried his best to come up with a good compliment.

'You're very pretty!'

Okay, so he wasn't exactly James Stuart, but a compliment was a compliment.

'What?' Robin breathed.

'I said . . . you're very pretty.'

She raised an eyebrow.

'Is this some sort of trick?'

Yannick shook his head.

'No. I genuinely mean it.'

She still looked suspicious.

'It's kind of an out-of-nowhere thing to say, don't you think?' she asked rhetorically.

'Maybe . . .'

'It's because I told you that I like compliments, isn't it? I'll bet you just said the first thing that popped into your head . . .'

'No! Not true!' Yannick declared boldly, 'I think you're extremely attractive. And you have a nice smile.'

'Not anymore . . .' she said, displaying her pointy teeth.

'Even now. If there's one person who can pull off the dinosaur look, it's you.'

Robin giggled.

'You talk about it like it's some kind of fashion!'

Yannick smiled coyly.

'Didn't you hear? Yellow is the new black.'

Robin grinned. They walked together across the grassy plains, headed nowhere in particular, but not particularly worried about this fact.

Star-wipe?

'Star-wipe.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

'So you ate the _whole pie_?' Robin gasped.

'Well, I didn't really have much of a choice! I was very sick that night . . .'

'Tell me about it! This one time, I drank at least six gallons of eggnog at the Christmas party.'

'I remember that! You were wearing a red dress, right?'

'Yeah, that's the one. It wasn't a very happy party. My date ran off with Trixie,' Robin sighed.

'I'm sorry . . .'

'It's fine. He was an asshole, anyway. I just wish I hadn't spent so long on my hairdo.'

'I thought it looked nice. You should curl your hair more often. If you ever change back, that is.'

Robin stopped walking.

'What do you mean? Don't you think this can be cured?'

Yannick shrugged.

'Who knows? Even if there _is_ a cure, would we be able to get close enough to convince them that we're who we say we are?'

Robin looked away thoughtfully.

'If we find a scarlet macaw, we might be able to morph into a bird like the theropods. We could use their vocal cords to emulate human speech.'

'Robin, you're a genius!'

She seemed taken aback by his words.

'What? . . . Are you okay?' he asked awkwardly.

'No one's ever said that to me before . . .' Robin said with tears in her eyes. Yannick rubbed up against her side.

'Well, they ought to. You have a lot of good ideas.'

The look on Robin's face made him want to compliment her more often.

***_TSJPFEW_***

By the time the sun had set, they were headed for the western portion of Isla Nublar. There were many large theropods along the trail, but none of them seemed to be hospitable towards their new neighbors.

'Well, it's getting late . . .' Robin sighed with a hint of reluctance.

'Do you have somewhere to be?' Yannick ventured.

She shrugged.

'I guess not. I mean, the others are probably fine . . .'

'Yeah. I can't imagine they'd get into _too much_ trouble. Nothing worse than me, at least.'

Robin poked him.

'Hey, don't be so hard on yourself. I went a little crazy, too.'

Yannick smiled.

'Thanks. And I really _am_ sorry.'

What is this, a romantic comedy? I mean, yeesh! I've seen less sap on a poplar!

'Shut up and watch.'

Do I _have_ to? I already know that they end up together . . .

'This is important.'

It really isn't, though. If I wanted to delve into the romcom aesthetic, I'd watch a Meg Ryan movie.

'But you modeled Robin after Meg Ryan, did you not?'

Well, yeah, but I don't see how any of this is helping my quixotic tolerance. I mean, when are they going to teach me a lesson?

Let's see. Fast forward, and . . .

They're catching a bird.

. . .

Frolicking in the fields.

. . .

BLECH! I did NOT need to see that!

. . .

Next day.

. . .

Swimming in the lake.

. . .

Blah, blah, blah.

. . .

Next Day.

. . .

And that's where Charlie shows up. See? Nothing interesting.

'Perhaps you would like to see another couple?'

Who? Alan and Ellie? We already covered that!

'No. Someone more familiar . . .'

I have a bad feeling about this . . . Are we going somewhere depressing?

'Not exactly. One might even say that it's the happiest place on Earth . . .'

I don't like where this is going . . .

'Follow.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alright, I recognize this place. This is Main Street in Disneyland. And I know who we're watching. There I am, by Esmeralda's fortune-telling booth. Creepy thing. Anyway, Desmond's there too. I spent my last two quarters on a fortune for each of us.

'Do you remember what yours said?'

Yeah, "You have had a lot of trouble, for which others are largely responsible, but you are now reaching a point when you will be able by your own efforts, to control your own affairs. You are not easily understood, as you keep much to yourself. You are fond of fine arts and like to be alone a great deal. You sometimes have a desire to destroy things, especially in your young days, for which you are sorry afterward. Be careful when the figure 7 appears on any money transaction, and keep your eyes open to some of your 'would be' friends." I guess it was accurate, after all. Still, at the time, he _was_ rather charming . . .

'How so?'

Well, we had just boarded the train, which passed through that dinosaur display- you know the one. Anyway, while we were waiting at the station, he sort of put his head on mine . . .

'And he asked you to partake in a relationship?'

No, no. That comes about . . . now. See? He's asking me if I want to "take things from here", since we've "been friends for a while". I'd ask myself later if I had misunderstood him. I was kind of insecure . . .

'You're both leaving.'

So we are. You'd better run, little chickies. Your teacher won't be too happy . . .

'You're on a school trip?'

Yeah. For band. Desmond convinced me to sneak away from the group. I suspected something, mind you, but I never let myself hope . . .

'Did you try to instigate it?'

I was very flirtatious, perhaps even obnoxiously so. I guess that was a running theme in our relationship: I'd make a fool of myself, he'd pressure me into something, I'd resist for a while, he'd make me give in, I'd find myself in a _real_ pickle. Ha! That's the best pickle I ever heard . . .

'Follow.'

Are we leaving, so soon?

'Would you prefer to stay longer?'

I guess not . . .

'Follow.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

I don't remember ever visiting the hospital . . .

'This memory isn't yours.'

Ah. So that must mean- . . . Yup, it's Ian.

'Go ahead. Narrate.'

Ian Malcolm lay dismally in the hospital bed with his leg propped up in the air. He rolled a pencil down his cast to entertain himself, but it fell to the floor. He sighed and looked out the window. It was nice of the nurses to give him a view, but all he could see from this particular angle was the roof. The patient next to him wasn't any more interesting, in fact, he was snoring like a chainsaw. Ian rolled his eyes.

The pain in his leg was problematic, as it was bad enough to keep him awake, but numb enough that he wouldn't require another dose of morphine for an hour or so. He could see why people got hooked on the stuff: it was like dancing on rainbows. The first injection had made him wish that he could break his leg more often. When the drugs wore off, however, he didn't really know whether being alive was such a good thing. Pain had a way of spoiling any scenario, even when that particular scenario involved the worst kind of boredom.

Ian was about to start plucking the sunflower beside his bed, but the nurse came in unexpectedly and gave him a look of warning. He placed the flower back in its vase and smiled innocently.

"Good morning."

The nurse popped her bubblegum and gave him a sardonic look. Ian held his smile.

"You have a visitor."

Ian raised his eyebrows. Grant and Sattler had been too busy with paperwork to visit him, and they certainly wouldn't fly down in the middle of a dig. Who would want to see him in this condition? Maybe it was a lawyer . . .

The woman who stepped into the room was not a lawyer, however. She was dressed in casual attire, and her red hair had been pulled back into a thick ponytail. She grabbed a chair and sat by Ian's bed.

"I heard about your accident," she said smoothly.

"Accident? Is that what they're saying?" Ian chuckled cryptically.

"Was this done on purpose?" the woman asked, examining his leg. Ian shrugged.

"Well, if you can consider the disregard of valid warnings to be on par with doing something on purpose, then yes, I guess you could say something like that . . ."

"Dr. Malcolm, I'm going to be direct with you."

"Aren't you supposed to wait for the second date?" Ian asked coyly.

She gave him a funny look.

"Never mind. I've just had a little morphine-"

"You were involved with InGen, correct?"

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say- I mean, they called me over for a testimonial-"

"Of what?"

Ian smiled.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

She didn't enjoy his quip.

"I have reason to believe that InGen has been using sophisticated genetic technology to restore the DNA of extinct fauna-"

"They made dinosaurs, yes."

Her eyes went wide.

"So, it's true?"

Ian snorted.

"Trust me, it's not as exciting as it sounds. Unless you have a death wish, I strongly recommend that you forget about the whole thing."

"What happened to your leg?"

"T-Rex."

"They have a T-Rex?"

"Oh, yes."

She grabbed his leg and flipped it over.

"Ah! Ooh! Stop it! What are you doing?"

She ran her fingers along the exposed wounds.

"These marks are from tyrannosaurus teeth. You're telling the truth . . ."

"Yes. Without a doubt. Now please put down my l-"

She turned it over again. Ian winced.

"Why didn't it finish the job?"

"I assume it had a craving for lawyer . . ." Ian said painfully.

"Someone died?" she gasped.

Ian nodded.

"Yeah, three people. Four, if you keep turning my l- OW!"

She dropped his leg unceremoniously. Ian cringed and breathed rapidly as the wound began to pang.

"Was it a compound fracture?"

"Jesus, woman . . ."

"Was it a compound fracture?" she asked, a little more firmly. Ian sighed.

"Yes, it was a compound fracture. Any more questions?"

She sat down and held her forehead.

"Hundreds."

"Alright," Ian sighed, "Let's get started."

***_TSJPFEW_***

For the next few days, Sarah Harding visited on a regular basis. Ian would answer her questions, then answer them again when she needed confirmation, then wonder what the hell she was asking, then answer for a third time. She was tenacious, this woman, and more than a little unsympathetic. Even worse, she was immune to his masculine charm.

"See, I told them that it would go wrong, this little science experiment of theirs, but they wouldn't listen. It's chaos theory, see? Hold out your hand. You take a drop of water-"

She yanked her hand away.

"So you could tell that the Rex was coming because of the tremors it caused when it moved around?" she asked pointedly. Ian gave a sigh of defeat.

"For the billionth time, yes. Don't you have any other-"

"How far did it have to be?"

"How should _I_ know? I didn't have a ruler!" Ian snapped.

"Approximately, though. How much?" she persisted.

"Look, when you're being chased by a dinosaur, you don't pay attention to how far it is. All you need to know is that it's out of biting-range."

Sarah frowned. She slid her chair away and grabbed her bag.

"It's obvious you won't tell me anything of value. Goodbye, Dr. Malcolm."

"Toodle-oo!" he hooted, waving his fingers mockingly.

She stood up and walked out the d-

Wait a minute, why is she leaving?

'She wants answers.'

Yeah, but she's coming back, right? I mean, she _has _to . . .

'Why?'

Well,_ you_ know how the story goes . . .

'Do we?'

I'm getting real sick of your shit.

'She's almost out of the wing . . .'

So _stop_ her!

'Why don't YOU stop her?'

Isn't this a memory? You can't rewrite a memory!

'Can't you?'

Oh, shut up!

As Sarah walked down the hall, she paused briefly, then turned around. She headed back for Ian's room as though some unseen force was guiding her.

Yeah, unseen, my ass!

Ian, who had been fiddling with his nails, looked up in surprise as she reentered.

"I thought you were gone."

"No . . ."

"Why'd you come back?"

"I don't know."

And that was all it took.

For the next month, Sarah found excuses to visit Ian, even when she had nothing more to ask. They continued to see each other after he was released from the hospital, though they were sometimes aloof for long periods of time. Only two of these instances stood out, one of which Ian didn't remember, and the other, one that neither of them could ever forget. These, and many more adventures, may not have ever come to be if Sarah had decided to go through with her departure.

So, you're welcome, assholes.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Where are we now?

'You know.'

I _do_ know. This is the field behind my old school. There's a giant inflatable movie screen on one end, so this must be the day they screened "Ferris Bueller's Day Off". Here I come, down the hill over there. All alone. Abandoned.

'You seem upset.'

I am. This was the third time Desmond ditched me to please his stupid prefect council. I lost nine elections, you know. Well, eight plus that time I ran for prefect. It's all the same. And he _knew_ how I felt about it. He _knew_. I hope he's proud. Those prefects really stood up for him.

'Is that sarcasm?'

Yes. He made me feel like shit whenever I was around the council. He blew me off like I was some sort of pariah. I guess I kind of was. The school hated me, though I did my best to lend my talents to the community.

'That sounds a bit pompous . . .'

Try losing nine elections. See how YOU take it. Anyway, I don't hate _everything _about the school. Some of the prefects were kind to me, others not. It was a mixed bag, really. 'Course, most people didn't quite understand me. They took my work WAY too literally.

'How so?'

Oh, thinking that it was autobiographical, things like that. I guess no one ever told them that the author is _NEVER_ the narrator.

'Even when it is stated?'

Even then. To say that an author is recounting life experiences as the narrator assumes that they have no creative properties. On top of that, there's the unreliable nature of a biased storyteller . . . Why are we even talking about this? This isn't English class! We're focusing on that _slimebag_, not me!

'So, what is he doing now?'

He's bringing me candy. I guess he realized that he was being an asshole. But that _still _doesn't excuse his behavior. Especially since he continued to shrug me off . . .

'Would you like to leave?'

Please. I don't think I can take any more of this.

'We will send you home.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

Love is a funny thing. It-

. . .

Love is a wonderful emotion, because-

. . .

Love is the root of-

. . .

Love is . . .

. . .

Love is . . .

The Troödon were right, weren't they? I'm not qualified to write about love; I'm just a grumpy teenager without any real experience in relationships. How am I supposed to keep my petty emotions out of this? I've never been in love. Never. Maybe I never _will_ be . . .

I guess I know what love is supposed to be. You have to put your all into the relationship, or it is destined to fail. There's a limit, of course. I let myself get pushed around too much, that was _my_ mistake. I'm not bold. I don't make decisions. Hell, I can't even order a bowl of _soup_ without getting nervous.

Well, next time, I won't screw it up. I'll find a nice guy who won't shrug me off for some stupid political reason. He'll compliment me. He won't leave me. He'll have everything I was missing last time.

And yet . . .

What if there isn't someone out there for me? Are some people destined to die alone? I'm not the kind of person who can live their life without love. I'm dependent, I'm needy, I'm difficult . . .

And I don't even know what love is.

'We beg to differ.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

'This is a small Albertan town called Drumheller. This is where it all began. You had been thinking about writing something new, something extraordinary, but you didn't know what to do. You were with Desmond. As you drove past _The World's Largest Dinosaur_, you said-'

"Do you ever wonder how far you can stretch reality?"

'He said-'

"What?"

'You said-'

"Expectations, I mean. Plausibility. When does something become too silly for a person to take?"

'He said-'

"I don't know what you mean."

'You said-'

"I think it's time to write the silliest thing I can imagine."

'He said-'

"What would _that _be?"

'You said-'

"What do you think would happen if Ellie Sattler turned into a T-Rex?"

'And that was all it took. From then on, you were a woman possessed. You asked Desmond to help you write certain passages. Sometimes he'd accept, more often, he'd decline. Desmond is woven into this text, like many of your past mistakes. Yes, he left you, but look at what you've _created_. You took the silliest idea ever conceived and turned it into something that others can enjoy. _THAT_ is love.'

You make a good point, but I'm afraid that I can't accept your closing monologue.

'Why not? Is it not a good way to end the story?'

Yes, it _would_ be a good way to end the story. Problem is, we've only just begun . . .


	28. Foreword and Prologue

Jabberwocky, a poem by Lewis Carroll, is considered by many scholars to be one of the greatest works of literary nonsense in modern verse. The sheer lunacy of the poem serves as satire against formal poetic conventions, using beautiful gibberish to mimic the pretentiousness of rhythmic assonance. The work is fluid, but it is essentially, in and of itself, gloriously silly.

It is easy for the inexperienced author to slip into a pompous mindset while writing. Even the most celebrated novels may contain the occasional ego-stroking moment, though it may be excusable within the context of the narrative. When a writer loses track of their purpose, however, the text will suffer greatly. Gradually, the focus shifts from the character to the author's _interpretation _of the character, alienating the audience from the narrative and thus preventing their complete immersion. Creative minds sometimes wish to emphasize their genius by highlighting their cleverness by any means possible, no matter how distracting.

Therein lies the brilliance of Jabberwocky.

It is a poem that tries not to try, creating no external pretense for its existence. Some intellectuals are unable to accept this form of parody, but for the most part, the message is made clear. When an author takes themselves too seriously, they strip away the humanity of their work. In theory, experimental media could be left to interpretation, and that would be all fine and dandy, were it not for the creator's ego. If an artist were to place a bar of soap on a pedestal and call it a masterpiece, the genius of the work lies not within the artist himself, but rather, within the audience. It is their interpretation of the piece that gives it meaning, yet modern artists tend to discredit this fact by claiming that the work is a product of their eccentricity. Truth be told, anyone could display a bar of soap in a museum, but the reputation of the artist almost always determines how well it will be received.

It is not the real-world context of Jabberwocky that makes it so amusing, but rather, the way in which it is presented. It makes no attempt to be reasonable, and in doing so, it becomes partially exempt from criticism. The piece is harmless enough, after all. One would never expect such silliness to have any effect on the real world.

But it does.

We now use "chortle" and "galumph" in the English language.

They both come from Jabberwocky.

Even the silliest narratives are not completely severed from quotidian life, and they may therefore have drastic effects on societal norms. Whether these effects manifest themselves as simple portmanteau terms or world-changing perspectives, the fact remains that there is no published work that can be totally isolated from reality. Like ripples in a pond, the sequelae of these ideas will continue to spread in erratic and unpredictable patterns, lacing the very fabric of reality with dangerous landmines, ready to detonate under the right amount of pressure.

This pressure was applied three years ago, in a town called Dog River . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Have they left yet?" a brunette woman whispered, peeking anxiously through a silky cafe curtain. Outside, five dinosaurs and two humans paced nervously in front of the neighboring gas station.

"Nope," a man answered redundantly.

"Oh, we're in _so_ much trouble!" a short, blonde woman hummed, "If the IDS hears about this . . ."

"Calm down!" the large, balding man said in a semi-stern tone, "This isn't our fault. _They_ came _here_. We can't stop them from trespassing."

"Man, the IDS is really losing its grip!" the blonde woman huffed, "Next thing you know, they'll be letting us walk straight through Hyrule."

The large man rolled his eyes.

"Look, the important thing is to keep our cool. _What_ do we do whenever we face a problem?"

"Sit on it and pretend that everything is okay?" the blonde woman grumbled sarcastically.

"Exactly. We have nothing to worry about."

A scruffy-looking man with a backwards cap strolled out of the bathroom.

"Hey, guys! Whatcha looking at?"

He peeked out the window.

"Are those people from Jurassic Park?" he blathered stupidly.

"Hank, sometimes you really surprise me," the blonde woman mumbled, "But then I remember who I'm talking to."

"They _ARE_ from Jurassic Park! See? It's Laura Dern!" he said defensively.

"Her character, Hank," the brunette hummed, correcting him, "But what are they doing _here_? Their franchise is still running . . ."

Suddenly, the sky crackled with lighting. A white ribbon descended from the clouds and wrapped itself around the outsiders, sucking them into the vortex. When the storm subsided, the sky showed no signs of any disturbance.

"Do you think they went back to their own franchise?" the brunette whispered.

"I don't think so," the balding man replied, "That was a pretty big zap."

"Some of them looked unfamiliar," the blonde woman remarked, "I'm guessing they're from some sort of extended canon."

"Well, they sure ain't from Wullerton-"

They all spat.

"-that's for sure."

"I think we should report this to the IDS," Hank suggested.

"You're kidding, right?" the large man muttered, "You _know_ how the Majordomo feels about Jurassic Park . . ."

"I guess you're right. We'd get a good talkin' to if we told him about this."

"And what do you think would happen if we _didn't_ tell him?" the blonde woman growled ominously, "He'll find out sooner or later . . ."

"Probably not," the large man said dismissively, "It could take _eons_ for anyone else in Fiction to hear about this. Remember how long it took for _The Prequels_ to settle themselves into existence? Whatever damage they've caused, it might not even show up for a good decade, in Overworld time."

"Bah! You talk about it like you know _exactly_ what's going to happen. But Fiction isn't bound to continuous time and space. This could bite us in the butt pretty quickly . . ." the blonde woman grumbled.

"Well, _I'm_ going to tell the Majordomo!" the brunette declared, "He might give us a break if we round up some interdimensional criminals. Besides, it's not like there's anything else to do in an inactive franchise . . ."

Suddenly, a cop burst through the door. He obviously hadn't seen the storm, for his demeanor was laced with childlike glee.

"Good news, everyone! We're getting a movie!"

"A new adaptation?" the large man asked.

"Yeah. Isn't it cool?" the cop giggled.

"It sure _is_!" the brunette cheered, "That's _great_ news! I guess I'd better hurry off, though . . ."

"Hurry where?" the cop asked.

"To the IDS. I have to report something before the new canon settles in."

"Better make it quick, or you'll lose your memories of-

_ZAP!_

-three chili dogs at once!"

"Brent, I think you'd better stop eating for a bit. I don't want you to get sick," the brunette hummed.

"Hey, did I ever tell you about that time I ate all of those apples?" Hank asked.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I was leaving? Right now?" the blonde woman huffed, stepping out of the booth.

"Oh, don't listen to her, Hank!" the brunette twittered, "I'm sure Brent would _love_ to hear your story."

Brent shot her a look. When she had rounded the corner, he turned to Hank.

"Why do all of our stories have to be about throwing up?"

"I dunno. Broad appeal?"

Brent grunted.

"I guess there's not much to talk about after harvest."

"Nope. Nothing exciting ever happens 'round this time of year."

"Nothing at all . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Three years later, on the ninth of March, an animated lion rushed nervously through an elegant building in Paris, France. He ignored the bustling crowd of colorful characters as he entered the lobby. They paid him no mind either, though he got a couple of questioning looks from the more perceptive individuals.

The lion pushed past a woman in an orange jumpsuit, who scowled at him as he passed. Nearby, two blue macaws sent a nervous glance his way. When they saw that he was headed for the Majordomo's office, they fluttered away to avoid the inevitable unpleasant situation. The lion hopped over a crowd of living Lego bricks and pattered up a grand staircase. Once he was on the upper floor, he prowled down an empty hallway and entered a very dark room.

"Majordomo, there's been an accident!" he gasped.

"Tell me . . ." a sinister voice replied from the shadows.

The lion gulped.

"Well, the members of a certain franchise broke the fourth wall. In doing so, they created a new sequel-"

"When will they _learn_, these foolish franchises?"

"I don't know, sir . . ."

"Who was it, Simba? Who journeyed to the Overworld?" the voice hissed.

"Seven characters from Jurassic Park," he squeaked.

From the other end of the room, there was a heavy silence.

"Sir . . ." Simba whispered.

"Do you know, Simba, why I allow you to remain King of Disney?"

"You- You're very generous?" he ventured.

"No. It is because you are more valuable than Frozen. You've shown consistent loyalty for many years . . ."

"Thank you, sir."

"Rally your best men. Examine the situation. We won't have another '_Wolverine_' if I can help it!"

Simba dashed out the door without another word. The shadowy figure smiled malevolently.

"Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park . . . Oh, how I wish we could have stayed apart. But . . . this encounter was _inevitable_ . . ."

He stood up and peeked through the velvet curtains behind him. A hefty, crystalline structure rocked back and forth as it dangled from the ceiling. Below, a crowd of fictional characters filed into a large auditorium.

"How exciting. I suppose we shall finally see if life truly_ does_ find a way . . ."


	29. Blu

High above the misty cliffs of Isla Nublar, at the peak of a billowing waterfall, a man and a woman stood nobly at the summit of a great mountain. They scanned the landscape with trepidation, hoping that their proposed "trial run" would go as planned. Behind them, two large reptiles with leathery wings preened themselves as they waited for a consensus.

"Ellie, I think this is a bad idea . . ." the man said nervously.

"It'll work. We tested it," she replied with a calculated composure.

He peeked over the precipice once more.

"Never from this height. If something goes wrong-"

"It won't. Don't be a chicken."

"I'm not- I- That's just _immature_!" he sputtered.

"It's true . . ." she twittered playfully.

He snorted.

"I'm just not sure they can support our weight . . ." he huffed grumpily.

She cuffed him playfully on the neck.

"C'mon, Alan: don't be a baby!"

He frowned and crossed his arms.

"It's dangerous."

"We'll be careful . . ." she drawled patronizingly.

Alan sighed and rubbed his neck.

"Okay, here goes nothing . . ."

They mounted the pteranodons, which had been fitted with leather saddles. The creatures shook their heads in anticipation as their riders lowered themselves flat on their stomachs. Alan grabbed the metal handles on his pteranodon's shoulders with white knuckles.

"Before we take off, make sure that everything is in place-"

"It _is_!" Ellie shrilled impatiently.

"Fine, fine. Just checking . . ."

The pteranodons crawled forward with folded wings. Alan cringed as the saddle shifted beneath him. He scooted up to get a better view.

"Ellie, we're going to take this _slow _the first time, okay? There's no point in rushing-"

"Onetwothreego!"

She tapped the pteranodon's haunches with her heels and they plunged off the cliff. Panicked, Alan dove after her. They somersaulted through the mists of the waterfall, spiraling like reptilian eggbeaters. The pteranodons were perpendicular to the horizon, and they were accelerating quickly. Ellie clucked her tongue twice. Her pteranodon cocked its head and unfolded its wings. Alan's followed its lead. The two reptiles cupped the air and began to rise.

"Too high! Too high!" Alan shrieked as the ground grew small beneath him.

Ellie smiled and whispered into her pteranodon's ear. They banked left and did a barrel roll through a hoop in the mountain's side. Alan followed, screaming at the top of his lungs. When they made it through, Ellie led them across the side of the mountain. The cold air made Alan's eyes water as they flew against the wind. He blinked and looked over the wing of the pteranodon. From this distance, the trees looked like green lint.

They soon glided into a deep canyon. The sound of rushing water echoed off of the orange walls, making Alan more than a little nervous. When he peeked over the side, his arms tightened around the pteranodon's neck. It squawked and pecked Alan's shoulder.

"Sorry!"

Thankfully, they seemed to be riding smoothly now, and Ellie fell back so that she was riding slightly above and to the right of Alan.

"Pretty cool, huh?" she said with a wide grin.

"Yes, but let's not do it again!" Alan huffed.

Ellie veered her pteranodon sharply upwards. They made an upside-down arc over Alan, who ducked in fear. When they were at their highest point, Ellie reached down and snatched his hat.

"Hey!"

She put it on and smiled.

"You want it? Come and get it!"

Alan's pteranodon made a lunge for her, but its beak closed on thin air. Alan yanked its head straight.

"Oh, no! We are NOT going to get suckered in!"

"Oh, Aaa-laaan!"

Ellie's pteranodon rose smoothly in front of them. On its back, Ellie was lying in a relaxed position. She twirled Alan's hat on her foot.

"Careful! You'll drop-"

She flicked it into the air and caught it in her hand.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready? Ready for what?" Alan asked quickly.

"THIS!"

Her pteranodon lay belly-to-belly with his. They locked talons and plummeted through the air.

"Aaaaaaaaah!"

Suddenly, Ellie's pteranodon did a small loop and tossed them forward. They flapped helplessly until Ellie pulled them straight.

"What the _hell _was that?!" Alan gasped.

"Just a little fancy flying . . ."

"FANCY FLYING? ARE YOU CRA- Ellie, what are you doing?"

She crouched on the pteranodon and began to balance on two legs.

"Oh, no. Oh, _no_! Ellie, get down! Get down, right now!" Alan barked.

She gave him a little salute and let herself fall backwards.

"ELLIE!"

Alan dove down. Ellie was standing passively on the foot of her pteranodon. She waved with her fingers.

"Oh, you are in _so_ much trouble!"

She smiled. Alan was not amused.

"Don't look so smug!" he grumbled.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going to _tear you apart_!" he growled. Ellie laughed.

"You'll have to _catch_ me first!"

The pteranodon launched her into the air. With her arms spread, she landed gracefully on its back. Alan leaned forward.

"It's on!"

Ellie raced across the sky with Alan in hot pursuit. Every time he got close, however, she'd pull some kind of extraordinary maneuver to lose him. Fed up with this nonsense, he chased her from above. They soared across a vast field, over a misty valley, above a glimmering lake, and into the dense jungle. As they pirouetted over a rocky valley, the wind from their wings made a pink flag flutter on its post. The raptors below watched as they surfed the thermals and caressed the wind.

Alan caught up with Ellie beside a sandy cliff. As they tore through the flocking seagulls, their shadows danced across the uneven sediment. They began to fly so low that the tips of the pteranodon's wings grazed the surface of the roaring ocean. A crocodilian whale burst through the waves and joined the race. Like some sort of crazy orca, it hooted and plunged into the saline water, sending a splash of seafoam into the air.

Alan's pteranodon pecked at Ellie's heel.

"Ouch!"

"You're gonna have to do better than _that_!" Alan taunted.

Ellie smiled and clicked her tongue. The pteranodon launched itself to the sky. Its belly was almost touching the cliff as it flew. Alan rose to follow her. When they reached the precipice, they nearly knocked over two allosaurs, who had been standing near the ledge.

"Ack!"

"Sorry!" Ellie chirped as they flew by.

A few minutes later, she had lost Alan. Ellie couldn't even hear her pursuer's wings. She looked over her shoulder and smirked. He was long gone. As she turned back, however, Alan fell from the sky and landed on her pteranodon. It squawked and flapped a little harder under the extra weight. Alan grabbed his hat and spun it lightly over his head.

"So, _who's_ the chicken?" he laughed. Ellie smiled.

"Still you . . ."

Alan's pteranodon glided above them, waiting for further instruction. Alan clucked. It rolled its eyes and fell back. Ellie raised an eyebrow.

"And you were worried it couldn't support our weight . . ."

The pteranodon took this as a cue to show off its strength. It soared higher and higher until they were above the clouds. Ellie ran her hand through the gilded vapor and smiled.

Alan wrapped his arms around her.

"This was a good idea."

"Of course it was: _I_ came up with it!"

Alan smiled and squeezed her tight. They gave a joint sigh and watched the setting sun. Their tender moment was interrupted, however, by the frantic beating of feathery wings. They shared a confused look, then turned around.

A tiny raptor huffed and puffed behind them. He tried to catch up with a bounding flight, but every time he'd dip down, the momentum was lost. Like a disgruntled goose, he pushed forward and grabbed onto the pteranodon's tail.

"Charlie! What are_ you_ doing here?" Ellie asked, helping him up.

He panted heavily.

"Kipper- told me- to bring you- back- for the evening," he gasped.

"Oh, sweetie, you shouldn't fly this high! You're all tuckered out . . ."

Charlie squeezed out of Ellie's arms and preened his feathers.

"I'm fine! I'm fine!"

"Charlie, listen to your mother . . ." Alan hummed.

"I'm not a _baby_!" Charlie whined.

"Even grown-ups have to listen to their parents . . ."

Charlie frowned.

"What about your-"

"We'd better head back," Ellie interrupted, "Tomorrow's a big day!"

Charlie turned to Alan with a questioning look, but received no explanation for his mother's unusual behavior.

***_TSJPFEW_***

When they had landed the pteranodon, the three of them joined Kipper in Raptor Valley. He was anxious to revise the predation manifesto, as a new species of seahorse had been discovered on the coast that morning.

"Hippocampus ingens!" he declared proudly, "No need to point out the irony in the name: I'm well aware. Anyway, my sources tell me that it's vulnerable, so we'd better steer clear of it, for now . . ."

Ellie nodded.

"Tell the bambies, they'll spread the word."

"Anything else?" Alan asked.

"We're running low on toucans in the West, and there are a lot of starf- A lot of echinoderms by the North Bay . . ."

Ellie sighed. One of the challenges of maintaining a healthy island was ensuring that the ecosystem was set to a constant equilibrium. It was hard enough to keep the theropods on a supervised diet, but the non-sentient animals could barely be controlled. Last year, a certain species of snake had disappeared from the island entirely, and the speckled mice took over. Aside from Orange, nobody was particularly keen to adopt a rodential diet.

"Is that all?" Ellie asked with exhaustion. Kipper sighed.

"No. The baryonyx took down a brachiosaur the other day. That makes _three _large sauropods this month. Not to mention seven hadrosaurs . . ."

"Seven?" Ellie gasped, "What kind?"

"Parasaurolophus. One of them was the last male in his herd."

Ellie frowned.

"Are we going to have to make a trip to Sorna?"

Kipper shrugged.

"One of the females might change sex, but we'll have to wait and see . . ."

"Ellie!"

Crusher and Lance strolled over from the spring.

"Whatcha doing? More herbivore stuff?"

"Yes, Lance," Ellie sighed.

"Bah! Forget all that! You've been working too hard."

"I have an island to run . . ."

"She's not overworked!" Kipper snuffed, "We just keep her busy, that's all. Besides, she has lots of free time . . ."

"Oh, that's right!" Crusher boomed, "We saw you flying over the Valley this morning! How was it?"

"Thrilling," Ellie said dismissively.

"I can't wait until we open the ptero-taxis for good!" Crusher babbled, "Though I'm sure gonna miss eatin'em!"

Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Spare me the details."

"Yeah, and don't try to sneak a bite while we're not looking!" Kipper snapped, "We don't want to break any alliances, especially not with something that can fly. We had a _very_ hard time after your last slip-up . . ."

"Hey, if the compys were dumb enough to examine my teeth, they_ deserve_ to die!" Crusher retorted.

"Stop fighting," Alan grumbled, "We have enough problems without your silly bickering."

"Like dissidence, for example?" Crusher said airily.

"Please tell me that Tuhuma isn't going to challenge me to a deathmatch again . . ." Ellie sighed wearily.

"He just can't take 'no' for an answer," Kipper said apologetically.

"You know, it's traditional for the chieftain to partake in ascendency duels-"

"Crusher, no one on this island is over ten years of age!" Ellie snapped, "I don't think your 'traditions' are set in stone!"

He snuffed.

"Fine, have it _your_ way. But you're kind of a wimpy leader . . ."

Crusher waddled away before he could be scolded. Ellie frowned.

"Don't listen to him," Kipper sighed, "Crusher's a heathen and a troglodyte. He wouldn't know democracy if it socked him in the gut."

Ellie bit her lip.

"Kipper, is anyone else . . . unhappy?"

He cocked his head.

"What do you mean?"

She lowered her voice.

"Does anyone have a problem with the way I'm running things?"

Kipper shook his head.

"I don't think so. You're an _excellent_ leader. Everyone loves you . . ."

"Not everyone . . ."

"Oh, _sure_ they do. And if they don't, that's _their_ problem."

"But I can't just ignore-"

"-the people who don't appreciate what you've done? Ellie, you're a mediator, a hyperpolyglot, and a war hero, among other things! Nobody in their right mind would _dare_ cross you."

"I don't want to be feared . . ."

"We don't fear you: we respect you. There's a difference."

Ellie smiled.

"I think you give me too much credit."

Before Kipper could reply, Ellie was knocked to the ground by a horde of infant raptors. They giggled and nipped at her jacket playfully.

"Cletus! Mabel! Billie! Candy! Get off of Auntie Ellie!" Bucky shouted as he ran to catch up with his mischievous offspring.

"We's just playin', Paw . . ." Billie drawled. Bucky glared at him.

"It's okay, Bucky!" Ellie giggled as they nibbled at her shoelaces, "They're being gentle."

"They're being _brats_, is what's goin' on!" he growled.

"Alright, run along . . ." Ellie said, shooing them away.

"Yeah, stop bothering Ellie!" Bucky added.

His children exchanged a look.

"Okay . . ." they chorused. The brood scattered and made their way to the spring, where they tackled Alan to the ground. Bucky sighed and ran after them.

"See? The _kids_ like you . . ." Kipper chuckled.

Ellie grunted noncommittally. She was busy watching Tuhuma, who sharpened his claws on a nearby boulder.

Kipper nudged Ellie's shoulder.

"Hey, don't pay attention to _him_ . . ." he said gently, "There's no pleasing some raptors. It has nothing to do with _you_."

Ellie sighed.

"Maybe. I just hope . . ."

She trailed off. Kipper gave a worried look.

"I just want to do right by you," she finished unceremoniously.

Kipper smiled.

"You already have."

Ellie wasn't so sure.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Sir, we've tracked down the rogue sequel," Simba said, pacing back and forth nervously.

"And?"

"Henry Wu was sent through the portal as a spinosaurus."

"Are you sure it's him?"

"Positive. Li Shang confirmed."

"I see. Do you think it would be possible to infiltrate the root canon?"

"Unlikely. We could try to substitute Grant with a member of my live-action jungle book canon, but he's too important of a character to blend in. I've tried to contact The Prince of Egypt canon, but it's not really my jurisdiction."

"I can't put you in charge of DreamWorks."

"I know. But we're running out of options . . ."

"There must be _someone _who can be our eyes and ears."

"Sir, if I may . . . Maybe undercover work isn't the best idea. Why not set up a stakeout with a couple of sentient animals? I'm sure no one would notice them in Costa Rica . . ."

"We can't have any of yours; it'd be too obvious. Animation doesn't exactly _blend in_ . . ."

"What about _computer_ animation? We could try for it . . ."

"Why not? But we won't send in any Disney characters, mind you. We're aiming for photorealism . . ."

"Animal Logic?"

"We can't rely on owls and penguins. But a bird of another kind . . ."

"Should I contact the Blue Sky Studios universe?"

"Please do."

Simba pattered out of the booth and turned the corner.

The dark figure smiled.

"Here's a gift, from me to you: Jurassic Park, prepare for Blu!"


	30. Stress

After a stressful night, Ellie felt that it was necessary to sleep in. She was unable to do so, however, as she had guests arriving at the East Dock, which now bore the name "Stegosaurus Bay". Alan suggested that he go alone, but Ellie politely declined. She was nothing, if not an optimist, and a little drowsiness was not about to get in her way. What _could _be a problem was Tuhuma's ambition. He caught up with Alan, Ellie, and Charlie as they rode across the plains on a trio of gallies, and began to hiss and spit like an angry cat.

"For the last time, the answer is _no_!" Ellie asserted as he ran next to them.

'How can you call yourself "Chieftain" if you won't even participate in a simple fight?' he barked.

"What did he say?" Alan asked.

"Nothing important," Ellie sighed, "Look, if you want to climb the social ladder, why don't you help out around the island or something? I could use an extra hand-"

'CLAWS! Raptors have _claws_! And I'm not here to run your stupid errands! Velociraptors are a proud species: always _have _been, always _will_ be. We aren't your slaves!'

Ellie frowned.

"You're twisting my words . . ."

'Am I? _You're_ the one who's trying to domesticate us!'

"I'm doing nothing of the sort!"

'Liar!'

Ellie slid off her gallimimus. Alan slowed down, but she waved him away. When Charlie was out of earshot, Ellie leaned close to Tuhuma.

'I don't want trouble!' she hissed, 'If you continue to pester me, I'll have no choice but to terminate your insolence, one way or another!'

'So, fight me. End it right here, right now!' he growled.

'Why? So you can make a _fool _out of yourself? Do you know what they call raptors who try to fight tyrannosaurs? Dead!'

He smirked.

'You wouldn't morph into anything other than a raptor. You're too soft to be unfair!'

Ellie did her best to suppress the urge to strangle him.

'Soft? You think I'm _soft_? We'll see who's soft when your intestines are painting the grass!'

'So you'll fight me, then?' he asked hopefully.

'No!' Ellie spat.

'Why not?'

'Because I'm not a tyrant!'

'You're not a raptor, either . . .'

"Ellie, are you okay?" Alan called from across the field.

"I'm fine! Just give me a minute!"

She grabbed Tuhuma's snout and pulled him up to her face.

'We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way. I'm not going to fight you, but if you continue to challenge my authority, I _will_ find a way to get rid of you. Capeesh?'

He growled. Ellie tossed him to the side.

"Don't let me catch you doing anything malevolent. That includes plotting."

Ellie mounted her gallimimus and caught up with Alan and Charlie. She knew that Tuhuma was still glaring at her, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of turning around.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Uncle Ian!" Charlie bubbled as they reached the dock. Ian crouched down and caught him as he jumped into his arms.

"Hey, kiddo! Good to see you. What took you so long?"

"Trouble with Tuhuma," Ellie breathed as she jogged up to them.

"What's that, a fish?" Ian asked.

"A raptor," Alan replied.

"Hm. Theropod angst?" Ian joked.

"Something like that," Ellie sighed, taking Charlie from his arms, "Is Sarah here?"

Ian grimaced.

"What? Are you two having problems?" Ellie gasped.

"No, no. We're fine. It's just . . . we have a stowaway," he admitted with remorse.

"Again? Ian, didn't you learn your lesson_ last time_?" Ellie huffed.

"Well, I didn't very well expect her to do it _twice_!" he retorted defensively.

"Twice? Oh, Ian. Please tell me it isn't Kelly . . ."

The sound of a whiny protest came from the boat, followed by a sharp scolding. Shortly after, Sarah dragged a very reluctant teenager out of the helm. Ellie, Alan, and Charlie stared blankly as she grabbed a railing with both hands. Sarah grasped her legs and tugged, but Kelly refused to let go. Eventually, they were perpendicular.

"We, uh, didn't tell her where we were going," Ian explained apologetically, "I guess we have some explaining to do . . ."

Charlie flitted over to the boat and landed on the railing. When Kelly looked up, she kicked Sarah in the jaw and ran across the dock, screaming shrilly. Ian caught her and held her upside-down.

"Kelly, I'd like you to meet Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler . . ." he grunted.

She thrashed around in his arms.

"Let me go! Let me go!"

Charlie pattered over and examined her from head to toe.

"Gee, you don't look like your dad _at all _. . ."

Sarah (who was still rubbing her jaw), glanced at Charlie, then at Alan and Ellie.

"He doesn't have a good sense of irony, does he?"

***_TSJPFEW_***

It was no easy feat to convince Kelly that she was safe on Isla Nublar, but she caved in once Ian and Sarah made it clear that they wouldn't be sending her back to the mainland alone. She trailed close behind them as they entered the Visitors' Center, hugging Ian tightly whenever a theropod passed by. She obviously had reservations about the whole ordeal. For this reason, Ellie urged Charlie to keep his distance, for the time being.

Once Kelly had locked herself in a hotel room, the gang decided not to interfere with her PTSD paranoia. Ellie, Alan, Ian, Sarah, Robin, and Yannick met up by the pool, where they changed into swimwear (except for Robin and Yannick, of course) and splashed around merrily. After a quick dip, Ellie and Sarah lay peacefully on two striped beach chairs and soaked up the sun.

"_C'mon_ you guys, don't be so _boring_! The water's great!" Robin chirped as she dog-paddled across the deep end of the pool.

"No, thanks . . ." Sarah sighed as she adjusted her sunglasses, "We're fine here."

Robin pouted.

"Aren't you gonna burn?"

"We'll flip over."

Robin rolled her eyes.

"Fine. While you guys are busy being lazy, I'll just get some exercise!"

"You should join us," Sarah said.

"I don't tan."

"You sure? It might help the jaundice . . ."

Robin giggled.

"Alright, you win!"

She stepped out of the pool and shook herself off. Sarah unfolded her towel quickly to shield herself from the spray. Robin padded over on light feet and sat next to Ellie.

"I think she's sleeping . . ." Sarah whispered.

Robin grinned.

"Should we put her hand in warm water?"

"I'm awake, Robin," Ellie grumbled.

"I was just kidding . . ."

Across the pool, Ian bounced up and down on the diving board.

"Hey, Sarah! Watch this!"

"Please tell me he's not about to try something stupid . . ." Sarah said, not bothering to look up.

Ian jumped off the edge and did a cannonball. Sarah rolled her eyes.

"You're going to flop, one of these days . . ."

As Ian resurfaced, Yannick spat water at Robin. She sneezed and tossed her head.

"Ack! What do you think you're doing?"

"Just having a little fun . . ." he giggled as he splashed her lightly.

"Oh, yeah?"

Robin slid into the water and kicked up a large wave. The two allosaurs chased each other around playfully, soaking Ian and Alan in the process. Ellie and Sarah ignored them and turned over.

"So, how have things been back home?" Ellie chatted idly. Sarah shrugged.

"So-so. We haven't had much time to ourselves, lately."

"I know the feeling. Are you busy with work?"

"Yeah. Ian had his tenure reissued, but everyone keeps asking him-"

"About Sorna?"

Sarah nodded.

"He hasn't told anyone about Nublar, though."

"I know. I trust him. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize our safety."

"Neither would I. But now that Kelly knows about this place . . ."

Ellie took off her sunglasses.

"Don't worry about that. I'm sure we can persuade her to keep quiet."

Sarah grimaced.

"I don't know, Ellie . . . She's _very_ headstrong."

"She'll listen. I've dealt with _much_ worse."

"Right. How many people did you have to fire after the big fight?"

"Thirty."

"Yikes . . ."

"Yeah. But that's a small percentage. It could have been a _lot_ worse . . ."

"Honestly, Ellie, you're a miracle worker! I don't think anyone could have pulled this thing off half as good as you!" Sarah said sincerely. Ellie shrugged.

"Maybe, maybe not. I'm not the best businesswoman: that's for sure . . ."

"No, but you have a good heart. It takes guts to live a life of secrecy."

"Secrecy?" Ellie echoed nervously.

"Maybe that's too strong a word," Sarah said quickly, "My point is, you're very brave. Humble, too."

"Not really . . ."

"See, that's _exactly_ what I mean! You're so selfless!" Sarah gushed.

"How?"

Sarah gave her a look of absolute incredulity.

"Are you _kidding _me? _Look_ at this place! It's _fantastic_, and you haven't spent a single centon yourself!"

"I don't need to. This place is my life now. Some people own flower shops, some people own restaurants . . . I own an island."

Sarah sighed.

"You should indulge yourself a little. I mean, neither of us are high-maintenance, but still . . ."

"Maintenance?" Ellie grumbled, "Don't even _mention _maintenance! I have to deal with all kinds of hazards: monsoons, eruptions, landslides, Robin . . ."

"Anything recent?"

"The worst was Hurricane Douglas, but that was a while back. We had to shut down the geothermal power plant for a while and run on the nuclear reactor."

"Does that mean-"

"Yes. The virus had a second wave. It's fine, though. We've only had a couple of electrocutions. Besides, it's not like anyone really _cares_ anymore. It's like friggin' Dinotopia down here . . ."

Sarah laughed.

"I heard you flew on pteranodons yesterday. How was it?"

"Fine, but we need to work out a few minor bugs. The saddles shift forward too much during dives and the handles are too slippery. If we ever make the system available to raptors, we're gonna have to adjust it for their claws-"

Ellie fell silent.

"What's wrong?" Sarah asked.

"I just started hearing myself . . ."

Before Sarah could answer, a piercing scream came from inside the hotel. Shortly after, Kelly came barreling out of the door with Charlie close behind. As he drew near, she shook a small container and sent a puff of brown powder flying through the air. Charlie sneezed and rubbed his nose. While he was distracted, Kelly turned around and darted . . . straight into the pool. She splashed around and shook the plastic can, which was now dripping with gobs of reddish gunk. Before Charlie could jump in after her, Ellie dashed over and grabbed him in midair.

"Charlie!" Ellie scolded, "I specifically told you to stay away from her room!"

Charlie whimpered in her arms.

"I was just trying to help . . ."

"I'm _very _disappointed in you!" Ellie hissed as she handed him to Alan.

Ian helped Kelly out of the pool. Sarah waddled over with a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. Robin and Yannick backed away slowly.

"_Cinnamon_?" Ian barked as he read the soggy label on Kelly's container, "What on earth are you doing with a tub of _cinnamon_?"

"The crocodile man said that it keeps dinosaurs away!" she shouted defensively.

"Crocodile man? . . ." Ian echoed.

Robert Muldoon jogged through the door.

"I thought it might help. I guess she believed me . . ."

The ghostly figure of Donald Gennaro floated through a nearby wall.

"I _told_ him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen!"

"You were _supposed_ to be watching Charlie!" Ellie growled.

"He ran off. What was I supposed to do?" Gennaro whined helplessly.

"_Follow_ him! You're a gh- Oh, forget it! Charlie, go to your room! Alan, make sure he stays there."

"Shouldn't I apologize?" Charlie squeaked.

"No. You are to stay at least thirty feet away from Kelly at all times. Understood?"

Charlie sighed.

"Yes . . ."

He slunk away miserably with Alan close behind.

Ellie turned to Ian.

"I'm sorry. I-"

"Don't. This isn't your fault," he affirmed, placing his hands on the sides of her arms.

"Kelly, you are in BIG trouble!" Sarah growled.

"But I didn't DO anything! That monster attacked me!"

"Who, Charlie?" Ian laughed, "That kid wouldn't hurt a fly. Listen, Kelly, I know you're scared, but the dinosaurs here are friendly."

"Bullshit!"

"Language!"

She stormed away furiously. Sarah followed.

"Ellie, I am _so_ sorry!" Ian said quickly, "I promise-"

"No, Ian. This was _my_ fault. I should have been supervising Charlie . . ."

"Well, you didn't exactly leave him _alone_," Ian grumbled, shooting Gennaro a dirty look.

"No . . . No, I should have kept an eye on him. It was _my _responsibility-"

"You have enough responsibility as it is. Quit blaming yourself, okay? You can't be everywhere at once . . ."

"Ellie! We have a sick triceratops by the northern stream!" Kipper yapped as he glided down from the sky. As he landed, his claws clicked on the cement by the pool.

Ellie sighed.

"Can it wait?" she asked with exasperation. Kipper shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Go ahead, Ellie," Ian said, pushing her forward, "They need you."

Ellie closed her eyes and exhaled slowly.

"Okay. I'm fine. Let's do this."

Kipper flapped his wings and took off. Ellie morphed into a raptor, then sprouted feathers of her own. She smiled apologetically and followed Kipper into the sky. Ian watched as they disappeared above the trees.

He told himself that he wasn't worried.

He wasn't convinced.

***_TSJPFEW_***

A wide ring of raptors had formed around the wheezing trike, who had collapsed flat on his massive belly. His sides moved in and out with each labored breath, and he moaned and groaned like a beached whale. Ellie stepped through the crowd to get a better look.

"Symptoms?"

"Heavy breathing, dry mouth, and halitosis. I think we can attribute that last one to his species."

"No one likes a racist, Kipper," Ellie joked halfheartedly. She crouched down and examined the triceratops. He tossed his head and mooed in agitation as she petted him.

"I think he smells the raptor on me . . ." she said, ducking away.

"Unlikely. His nostrils are plugged, and he didn't smell any of _us_," Buzz said as he joined her.

"Are his pupils-"

"Dilated? No. I checked," Rocky replied, stepping over the trike's body.

"So it's not-"

"Melia toxicity? No."

"Rats. I thought it might be a quick fix."

Ellie leaned in closer to the triceratops. His eyes went wide.

"Shhh . . . Shhh, it's okay-"

The trike tossed its head violently. Ellie stumbled backwards.

"I don't think it likes you very much!" Kipper remarked.

A few raptors tried to get close, but whenever they entered its field of vision, the trike would moo and shake its head.

"Stop teasing the poor thing!" Ellie snapped. She lay her hand on top of its horn. It went absolutely crazy. Ellie stepped back to avoid being impaled.

"Ellie? What's going on?" Alan asked as he rode in on a gallimimus.

"Alan! You're supposed to be watching Charlie . . ."

"He apologized to Kelly. They're playing checkers."

"That's a relief," Ellie sighed.

Alan trudged through the grass and kneeled down beside the trike.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you . . ." Ellie hummed.

Oddly enough, the triceratops didn't seem to be bothered by Alan's presence. It mooed gently as he scratched behind its crest. Thinking it was safe to join him, Ellie stepped forward. The trike trumpeted and pawed at the ground.

"That's strange . . ." Alan remarked.

He stood up and walked over to Ellie.

"Yeah, strange . . ." she echoed.

***_TSJPFEW_***

The rest of the day didn't go any smoother. There was a coding error with the computers that caused a power-outage in the eastern quadrant of the island, and the trees up North were showing all of the early signs of a serious beetle infestation. Tuhuma had caused a hadrosaur stampede near the canyon, and three compsognathus had nearly been squished in the rampage. Worse still, he had challenged Ellie to a deathmatch, once again, despite her threats and warnings. She declined, of course, but it was clear that he was dead set on fighting her. At the very least, Charlie and Kelly seemed to be getting along. Because he was a lot fluffier than most raptors (being one of a dozen individuals who kept their feathers readily available), she seemed to equate him with a pet of some kind, albeit one that was able to beat her at board games. Sarah was currently keeping them occupied with basket-weaving, which was a good thing for Ellie, who desperately needed a nap.

"I told you, Kipper: I'm not interested in some blue bird that Crusher claims to have seen!" she barked.

"But he said that it _spoke_ to him!"

"Birds don't speak. Parrots mimic."

"But it said- _and I quote_- 'Please don't kill me, Mister Raptor, sir!'. Crusher couldn't have thought that up on his own . . ."

"He could, and he did."

"But he-"

"Has no evidence."

"The bird got away . . ."

"A likely tale. Please, Kipper, I want to be alone."

"But-"

"I'm going to my room. Tell everyone not to bother me!"

Ellie climbed the rotunda stairs and marched down the hall. When she had locked the door, she collapsed onto her bed and exhaled deeply. She was absolutely _exhausted_.

"Ellie?" Bucky's voice shouted from across the door.

"I'm not taking visitors!" she grumbled angrily.

"But it's the _Visitors'_ Center . . ." he whined.

"I'm well aware."

"So-"

"Come back another time."

His footsteps grew faint as he trotted down the hall. Ellie lay down once more and closed her eyes. As she was falling asleep, there was a steady knock at the door.

"Who is it?" she groaned weakly.

"It's Kipper. Crusher gave me some new information-"

"Leave it be. I'm trying to sleep."

"Sorry."

Ellie turned on her side. As she stared out the window, there was another knock at the door.

"Oh, for goodness sake! I'm trying to sleep!"

"Sorry, Ellie. The gallimimus were wondering if you could join them for a run, tomorrow."

"I don't have _time_ for this, Kipper! Just tell everyone to leave me alone for a bit, 'kay?"

"You sure?"

"_Yes_!" Ellie shouted with frustration.

"What should I say?"

"That I'm sleeping, and if they're planning on disturbing me, someone had better be dying!"

"Okay. Goodnight . . ." Kipper sighed.

Ellie kicked off her socks and wrapped herself in the sheets. After fluffing her pillow, she lay her head down and began to doze off. It wasn't long before thunderous footsteps woke her from her slumber.

"Ellie?" Robin whimpered with a shaky voice.

Ellie sat up and frowned.

"Didn't Kipper tell you I was sleeping?"

"Yes! But Ellie-"

"Look, Robin, whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow."

"No! No, it can't!" Robin sobbed.

"Yes, it can! I'm too exhausted to deal with your problems right now!"

"You don't understand . . ."

"I do. Goodnight."

"Ellie . . ."

"What?"

"John Hammond is dead!"


	31. The Will

Alan, Ellie, and Ian sailed over to the mainland the next day. After a melancholic plane ride, they arrived at Hammond's private estate. The tall iron gates had been left open for the arriving guests, whom the trio joined after leaving their coats with the butler. They filed into an ornate room with mahogany chairs and silk cushions, crept into a corner, and tried to make themselves less visible. Ian was particularly worried about blending in, as he was most always seen wearing black at any given time. Ellie and Alan assured him that they would keep a low profile until it was time for Ian to give his speech. They ended up searching for their reserved seats, however, which happened to be near the front of the room.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Hammond's funeral was very well put together. It was exactly as elegant as one might expect, maybe even more so. Ellie and Alan did not wish to make their presence known, so they had to formulate a short eulogy for Ian to perform in their place. It wasn't half bad, either, given the rushed nature of their preparation.

After the last of the speeches was delivered, the three of them met up with Tim and Lex, who wiped away their tears and did their best to hold a pleasant demeanor during their brief conversation. After a while, however, they broke down and settled on sobbing into Ellie's shoulders. Their mother came along and shepherded them away to one of her friends from work. She didn't so much as give Ellie and Alan a nod.

***_TSJPFEW_***

The interment ceremony was like a dream. Ellie didn't know what to think of it all. The abruptness of Hammond's death hadn't yet shifted from the surreal phase in her mind, and it was so very hard to believe that he was gone. Aside from this, there was a general unease in Ellie's thoughts. Among the super-rich, Ellie and Alan stuck out like a sore thumb, as they were neither wealthy nor influential outside of their little island.

In this uncomfortable, hyper-aware state, Ellie noticed a strange man observing Alan and her from across the reception room. He didn't look like one of Hammond's colleagues, but then again, who was _she_ to judge? For all Ellie knew, he could be laughing at her cheap dress. In any case, there were bigger issues to resolve.

Once everyone had cleared away from the plot, Alan, Ellie, and Ian wandered through the cemetery in silence. A single question burned through their minds, though no one dared bring it up. They didn't exchange even a hint of a word until they reached Hammond's legal office, where they sat in front of the executor with clouded brows. The stuffy old man asked them to wait quietly at the desk while he retrieved the proper documents.

"Ellie, Alan . . . I want you to know that if I'm in his will, you guys are getting every single cent."

"What? Ian, no!" Ellie gasped.

"You need it. Nublar needs it. You _know_ I'm right . . ."

"Yes, but Ian, we're probably in his will too," Alan reasoned, "You don't have to worry about us. We'll find a way . . ."

The executor came back with two envelopes: one for Ian and one for Ellie. They were requested to read the contents in separate rooms, leaving Alan alone in the office. Ellie gave him an apologetic smile and stepped outside. As she unfolded the envelope, Ellie scanned the graceful handwriting, following its dips and curves with intense focus.

_My dearest Ellie, _

_By the time you read this, I will have passed on. Given my current state, I should say that I don't have much time left. It is of the utmost importance that I give you your dues, and Alan as well._

_In all my years, I have never encountered anyone as trustworthy as you. I once told you that I can tell instantly whether a person holds merit, but I never knew how right I was, until now. You have been fiercely loyal for almost three years, dedicating your very existence to the reconstruction of Isla Nublar. Jurassic Park was always an illusion, you were right about that, yet you somehow managed to pull the loose ends together and create something beautiful. In this way, my dream came to fruition, though I certainly never anticipated that it would play out in such an unexpected fashion._

_When I leave this world, I wish to give you all the insurance you deserve, so that you may keep this dream alive. I have no doubt that you are qualified to use your power responsibly. I therefore leave you Isla Nublar (though it was always yours), the remaining branch of InGen, and the proper financial compensation, which you will find on the second paper. Take it all. You have always been humble, maybe even too much for you own good, but I assure you, you are braver than you believe. _

_Hold on to your courage, and don't ever lose faith in the power of ingenuity._

_John Hammond_

Ellie bit her lip. She sniffled quietly as tears began to slide down her cheeks. She didn't deserve Hammond's kindness, let alone anything resembling a cash settlement. It was frightening to have so much responsibility thrust upon her, especially now that she had no higher connections to rely on. What was a simple woman such as herself supposed to do with such phenomenal power? She couldn't even blend in with the high and mighty, let alone assume a position of dominance. Still, Hammond trusted her, and it would be wrong to discredit his dying wish.

After taking a deep breath, Ellie slid the second sheet out of the envelope. It was time to see just how much faith he had invested in her project . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan and Ian watched as Ellie staggered into the office. She was white as a sheet, and she looked as though she might faint.

"How'd it go, Ellie?" Ian asked.

". . . Good . . ." she gulped.

"That's a relief. You'll never _believe_ how much Hammond gave me!"

"Ian, you're not supposed to _tell_!" Alan hissed.

"Hey, we're all friends! So guess, Ellie, guess!"

"I- I don't know . . ."

"Sixty thousand! Not bad, huh?"

Ellie blinked.

"What? How much did you get?" Ian blathered.

"Forty-three."

Ian winced.

"Tough luck. You know, I could spare-"

"Forty-three million dollars."

***_TSJPFEW_***

When they returned to Isla Nublar, Alan, Ellie, and Ian were greeted by Morton and Penelope.

"Hey, guys! How was the trip?" Morton asked brightly.

"They were at a FUNERAL, Morton!" Penelope huffed, "You can't just ask how it was!"

"I'll _ask_ what I _want_!" he barked, "So, how was it?"

Ellie gave a half-smile.

"Well, I do have SOME good news . . ."

"We got a very generous inheritance from Hammond's will," Alan explained.

"Cool! Does this mean we can finally get electric lights around the herrerasaurus locale?"

Ellie nodded.

"Yes, but let's not get too carried away . . ."

"Oh, have a little fun, Ellie!" Ian laughed, nudging her shoulder, "You're too frugal!"

She smiled.

"I'm just careful, that's all."

"Is that why you let a boat follow you back from the mainland?" Morton quipped.

Ellie spun around. A tiny dot had appeared on the horizon.

"Oh, no! Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Morton, Penelope, hide! Ian, tell everyone to go into lockdown mode! Alan, we need to cut them off before they reach the shore!"

Morton, Penelope, and Ian sprinted down the dock. Alan and Ellie stepped back into their speedboat.

"They're probably just lost . . ." Alan said with false conviction. Ellie grabbed the steering wheel with white knuckles.

As they approached the small vessel, Ellie pulled up to its side. A man in a dark tuxedo was seated on the motor cover.

"Dr. Sattler, I presume?"

"How do you know my name? Why are you here?" she asked tersely.

He stood up.

"My client wishes to contact you as soon as possible."

"Client? CLIENT? What are you, a lawyer? I've done _nothing_ wrong, in fact, _you're_ the one who's trespassing! Leave now, or I'll call-"

"There will be no need for that, Dr. Sattler. I am here on peaceful terms."

"Bullshit!" Alan spat, "You have no right to sail on these waters!"

Ellie frowned.

"You were at Hammond's funeral, weren't you?" she whispered, "Why are you following us?"

"I told you, my client-"

"WHO? WHO IS YOUR CLIENT?" Ellie barked.

The man smiled.

"You might want to sit down. It's time for a little talk . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Charlie sighed with boredom as he captured Kelly's last token. They had been playing for almost an hour, and his winning-streak remained unbroken.

"You know, you don't HAVE to let me win . . ." he drawled patronizingly.

"I'm not!" Kelly grumbled, "You're just really good."

Charlie shrugged.

"Maybe."

"Why don't we play something else?" Kelly suggested.

"Do you have any more board games, Mr. Arnold?" Charlie asked.

"Not down here," he sighed, "We'll have to wait for your parents to come back-"

Ellie and Alan marched through the door, right on cue. Charlie bounded up to them, but they walked right past him.

"Lockdown's over, everyone!" Alan declared unceremoniously.

"What _was_ it?" Muldoon asked.

"Nothing," Ellie lied.

Muldoon narrowed his eyes. Val stood up and examined Ellie's face.

"There's something you're not telling us."

Ellie frowned.

"It's private . . ."

Alan put his hands on her shoulders.

"We'll have to tell them eventually . . ."

"Can we talk about this at the Visitors' Center?" Donald suggested, "It's kind of crowded in here . . ."

"You don't even occupy space!" Buzz grumbled.

"Alright, everyone, we'll regroup outside the rotunda," Ellie proclaimed, "Alan, sound the alarm. We need every theropod on the island to be present for this announcement."

Charlie listened with his mouth agape. His mother had never called everyone to the VC at once. This must be _very_ important . . .

Alan picked up Charlie as the crowd began to filter out. He climbed up to his shoulders and lay his chin across the rim of Alan's hat. Whatever the issue was, it was probably not meant to be discussed until the whole island had gathered in one place.

***_TSJPFEW_***

When they were sure that every Nublarian theropod was present outside the Visitors' Center, Ellie and Alan switched off the main siren. The crowd hustled and bustled anxiously at the base of the stairs. They hadn't been called in for a meeting like this since the last hurricane.

A swarm of bambiraptors carried a microphone to the top of the stairs, where Ellie picked it up and placed it on a stand. She tapped the top twice, then leaned in.

"Can everyone hear me?"

The theropods nodded. Ellie took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Isla Nublar is in danger."

A tense whisper flickered through the crowd. Robin and Yannick (who were in the front row) shared a worried look. Ellie waited for the audience to settle down before proceeding.

"We have been contacted by an outsider. She wishes to visit the island and assess the quality of our infrastructure."

"Is she a safety inspector?" Sarah asked from the center of the crowd.

"No," Ellie replied, "But she is a very powerful woman. If we don't invite her to this island soon, she will find a way to invade our home . . . forcefully, if necessary."

"Oh, no!" Robin gasped, "What are we gonna _do_?"

"We have to wait for this thing to blow over. After careful consideration, Alan and I have reached an agreement. Our only option is to conceal the true nature of Isla Nublar."

"What do you mean?" Kipper asked.

"We must remove all evidence of prehistoric life from Jurassic Park."

The crowd gasped.

"I can think of at least _five_ problems with that sentence . . ." Buzz whispered to Rocky.

"Impossible! We can't un-dinosaur this island!" Yannick objected.

"We don't have to hide everyone. Our guest will be staying at the hotel, and she will not have access to most buildings," Ellie explained.

"I thought she was supposed to be _dangerous_!" Crusher huffed.

"Make no mistake. This woman is ruthless, uncaring, hurtful, and malevolent. When she wants something, she'll damn well take it, even at the expense of others. You are not safe in her presence."

"Jesus, Ellie! How could you let someone like that set foot on this island?" Ian wondered.

"I have no choice. She is adamant. If we don't appease her, she will not rest until we are driven from our home."

"Who IS this evil woman?" Bucky whispered with terror.

"My mother."

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Majordomo! Majordomo!" Blu shrieked as he flapped through the ornate halls of the Majordomo's residence, "I saw the Jurassic Park people! A raptor attacked me-"

"Silence, Blu! What news have you regarding the main characters?"

"I didn't meet any . . ." he replied with regret.

"Fool! Did I not ask you to return when, and only when, you had more information?"

The bird shrunk back nervously.

"Yes, but-"

"It is dangerous to disappoint me . . ."

Blu gulped.

"I tried . . ."

"Trying is not good enough."

"Please, sir! Don't- ACH-ACH-ACH!"

The macaw's eyes bulged comically as the shadowy figure grabbed him by the neck.

"_Don't_ disappoint me again . . ."

He dropped the bird, who fell to the floor with several feathers sticking out in random directions.

"Should I go back, sir?" he mumbled through the carpet.

"No . . . no. We will bring them here."

"HERE? But their canon isn't complete!"

The man whipped around.

"Silence! Unless you want me to endanger your species once more . . ."

"Here is fine!" Blu chirped quickly.

"Go! Tell the others to gather in my world."

Blu nodded and flapped away noisily. The man stood up and glided down the hall. As he stepped smoothly down the stairs, a few stray characters leapt out of his way. It was unwise to disturb the Majordomo, and everyone knew it.

At the base of the staircase, the man ran his hand along the frill of an ornamental dragon statue as he rounded the corner. Turning down a second flight of stairs, he passed a dark sculpture of the mythical Pythia of Delphi and found himself in a circular room that was lined with pillars, mirrors, and doorways. He took a deep breath and raised his hands. The mirrors began to glow with an otherworldly light. Soon, they became linked to other dimensions, rippling with beautiful images of epic regions and vast landscapes. Only one reflection remained blank.

The man sighed and lowered his arms. For a moment, a hint of sorrow breezed across one side of his face. It was short lived, however, as he snapped back to attention and thundered down the hall without a second thought.


	32. The Majordomo

As Ellie and Alan cooked dinner, they went over all of the various safety measures that they would have to put into place once Ellie's mother arrived. It was no easy feat: they had become accustomed to Isla Nublar in its current state. Removing the saurian qualities of the compound was like segregating two shades of red in a laundry basket.

"We'll have to ask Ian and Sarah about it," Alan reasoned, "They have a better barometer of judgment than we do."

Ellie sighed and hunched her shoulders dismally.

"I wish you hadn't let them stay. You _know_ how my mother gets. It'll be humiliating! . . ."

Alan smiled.

"Hey, don't worry about that. They'll understand. Nobody blames you for the way your mother behaves . . ."

Ellie scowled.

"That's not true! I _know_ what they'll think when she's around. If I make one slip, they'll attribute it to genetic similarity. Then they'll make assumptions-"

"Ellie! You are _nothing_ like your mother!" Alan reassured her, "Besides, Ian and Sarah are our friends. They know how wonderful you are . . ."

"But-"

"No buts. We're in this together," he said gently.

Ellie smiled.

"Thanks . . . I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't be so humble. You're the brains of the operation," Alan laughed. Ellie shrugged.

"Not really. But I'm the best pteranodon-surfer!" she giggled, cuffing him playfully across the shoulder.

"Give me time . . ."

"Are you guys done smooching yet?" Charlie asked as he pattered into the kitchen.

"We aren't smooching!" Ellie giggled as Alan spun her around. Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Why don't you go outside and play?" Alan suggested.

"I can't. I promised Kelly I'd show her Raptor Valley."

"Raptor Valley? Isn't she _afraid_ of raptors?" Ellie gasped.

"No, I told her I'd protect her if anyone got bite-ey. She trusts me."

Alan grinned.

"That's terrific! Just make sure you don't push her out of her comfort zone," he advised.

"I won't!" Charlie shouted over his shoulder as he hopped through the door.

"Make sure you're back by supper!" Ellie said, though he was probably not listening anymore. She chuckled lightly and went back to stirring a bowl full of red sauce. Alan sighed.

"Ellie . . ."

"What?"

"You know we can't let Charlie stay with us when your mother's around . . ."

She froze.

"Why not?"

"Well, you _know_ . . ." Alan said awkwardly. Ellie frowned.

"He can be a parrot, just like on the mainland. It won't be a problem," she asserted.

"What if he slips up?"

"He's smart. We can trust him."

"I know, I know . . ." Alan hummed, "But it's not just _him_ I'm worried about."

Ellie stopped stirring and put her hands on her hips.

"Okay, Alan. What is this _really_ about?"

He turned away slightly.

"Nothing, nothing . . . I mean, it's just . . . Well, I'm a little worried that you might give us away."

"What? How?" Ellie snapped.

"Well . . . You sometimes depend on certain raptor-isms . . ."

"I have_ no_ idea what you're talking about!" Ellie huffed as she opened a jar with raptor claws on one hand. Alan shook his head.

"You tend to adopt certain . . . theropod qualities, I guess."

"Such as? . . ."

"Well, you walk on your tiptoes a lot."

She lowered her heels.

"And? . . ."

"And you turn your head instead of moving your eyes."

"I do NOT!" she snapped.

"Sometimes, you do . . ."

"Okay, smart guy. If I'm really as saurian as you say, tell me this: why am I still eating vegetables?"

She grabbed a pepper and chomped down on it to make a point.

"Ellie, that was a jalapeño . . ."

Her eyes went wide as she began to hop up and down, waving her hands in front of her chest like a chicken. She coughed and spat tiny red flecks into the sink. When her mouth was empty, Ellie ran cold water over her tongue. Alan laughed.

"You think thith ith funneh?" she growled, rubbing her tongue.

"A little . . ."

She grabbed the other half of the pepper and stuck it in Alan's mouth, holding his jaws shut with her hand.

"Mph!"

Alan spat it out and ran around the kitchen in search of something cold. He grabbed a glass of water and splashed it over his tongue. Ellie giggled and handed him an icecube.

"Thankth . . ."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He hugged her waist and put his chin on her head.

"Mmmmmm . . . You're all warm . . ." she sighed.

Or maybe she was just cold . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

That night, Ellie had a strange dream. She found herself floating through a swirling tunnel of light without any specific direction, eventually landing in a lake of shimmering liquid, which had wisps of rainbow film, like oil on cement. She drifted through the void until the fluid pulled away and revealed a polished vestibule. Once the fog of her dream had worn off, Ellie realized that she was very much awake.

"Hello?" she whispered.

There was no answer.

Ellie could hear the muffled chattering of a large crowd trickling down from the crest of a nearby staircase. She looked around nervously, then crept up the railing with trepidation.

A bizarre congregation had formed in an elegant ballroom, and Ellie had a very hard time processing the strange tableau in front of her. Hundreds of eccentric people were socializing with each other, and some of them seemed to be animals or creatures of an unknown origin. Ellie watched them with her jaw hanging wide open, though no one seemed to give her so much as a second glance.

"Hey! Watch it!" a minuscule voice squeaked as Ellie stumbled across the floor. At her feet, a tiny toy soldier and a scruffy rat frowned up at her indignantly.

"S-sorry . . ." Ellie stuttered. They snorted and scurried away.

Ellie wandered through the crowd with wide eyes, not knowing what do to or where to go. She gaped in amazement as a woman with a tiny mechanical bird strolled through the crowd. Noticing Ellie's stupor, the woman smiled and shrugged nonchalantly.

"We had to shrink him down, or he wouldn't fit in the room . . ." she explained.

The bird squeaked.

"He's really quite friendly now. You don't have to worry . . ."

The machine fluttered around Ellie's head. She flinched as it tugged on her hair. The girl whistled a short melody, and the bird landed on her index finger. Ellie noticed that she was missing her pinky, and the orphaned stub bore a small, silver thimble.

"Hey, it's Ellie!" someone shouted from behind her. She turned and saw a small raccoon in a suit standing casually on the shoulder of a living tree.

Ellie blinked. He looked at her expectantly.

"Do I- Do I know you?" Ellie stammered.

"What? Oh, haha, no! But I know YOU. Jurassic Park is awesome!"

Ellie's eyes went wide.

"How do you-"

"Anyway, I'm Rocket Raccoon. And this is my pal-"

"I am Groot."

"Yeah, what he said."

Ellie gulped.

"It's . . . nice to meet you . . ."

"Hey! Don't-a bother the lady!" a small man with suspenders said rhythmically. Ellie blinked.

"And you are? . . ."

"It's-a me: Mario!"

"I'm sorry. I don't think I've met-"

"Someone find Alistair! He'll love this . . ." a purple dragon sneezed.

Ellie backed away slowly.

"Oh, I know that ain't Ellie Sattler!"

A talking donkey clipclopped over and gave her a toothy grin.

"You're not as tall as I thought you'd be . . ."

"How-"

"Can someone tell the funky-looking donkey to let me through?" a familiar voice laughed. A short, round snowman came riding in on a hairy reindeer.

"Olaf!" Ellie gasped.

"Yep! It's been a long time since we met. So, how's everything? . . ." he prompted.

"Good, good . . . Except I don't know where I am . . ."

"Oh, you've been called into this dimension for a little meeting, that's all!" he bubbled, "I don't think you're in _too much_ trouble . . ."

"Trouble? . . ." Ellie echoed nervously.

"Ah, there she is!" a deep russian voice boomed.

A bulky, bald man with massive forearms punched Ellie jovially on the shoulder. She winced and ducked away.

"I am longtime fan. Please be signing autograph?" he asked, handing her a paper and a pen. Ellie took the pen and scribbled a quick signature on the paper. The man grinned and skipped away to show it to a blue deer-scorpion-centaur.

Ellie began to hyperventilate as she saw a group of familiar characters. She recognized Scooby-Doo, Indiana Jones, and Homer Simpson, among others. Slowly, it dawned on her that these characters were from neighboring dimensions. But if they were _fictional_, what did that make HER? . . .

"I _told_ you: I have a parking pass!" a british man grumbled with disdain.

"Well, I can't retrieve my armor until you move that _ghastly_ police-box!" a grey owl bellowed.

"Hey, hey, Twilight!" a second owl piped up, "What do you call an owl with a Tardis?"

"Digger, must you? . . ."

"DOCTOR _WHOO_! AHAHAHA!"

Ellie strolled into a corner and sat down on a leather bench. A tall man in a dark coat gave her a quick glance.

"So, you work with dinosaurs? . . ." he asked pleasantly.

"I suppose _you_ know who I am, too?" Ellie sighed.

"No, but you have a small scar-indentation over your right eyebrow, which is slightly distorted, indicating some kind of transformation. Because you come from a franchise where this is possible, it would be reasonable to assume that the down feather on your shoulder comes from an uncommon animal. Using the perforations on your coat as reference, I can deduce that you have recently carried a small dinosaur on your back, though his intent was not predatory. You are dressed for a warm climate, which indicates a link to reptilian-"

"They aren't reptiles!" Ellie barked.

"Fair enough. I haven't seen you around before. You must be new here."

"No shit, Sherlock!" Ellie snapped unpleasantly.

"A very appropriate choice in expression, though I'm afraid you won't fully grasp the quirk of fate until we are properly introduced . . ."

A small ping came from his pocket. He pulled out a tiny cellphone (smaller than any phone Ellie had ever seen), and opened the top flap. A line of white text reading "Meet me at the stairs." popped up out of nowhere and faded quickly into the air.

"Franchise quirk," he explained, "You'll have to excuse me. Duty calls. It was nice meeting you."

He stood up and strolled through the crowd with his hands in his pockets. Ellie sighed and rubbed her temples. A cartoon cat waddled up to her and sat on the bench.

"Garfield, right?" she huffed.

"Yeah. Who are you?"

"Ellie Sattler."

"Never heard of you."

"That makes _one_ person . . ." Ellie sighed.

"So, where are you from?"

"Costa Rica."

"No, your _franchise_," he elaborated.

"_Franchise_? Surely, you don't think that I'm a fictional character _too_!"

"I _know_ you are. And don't call me Shirley."

Ellie frowned.

"Why don't you go eat some lasagna or something?" she snapped.

"Rude. But I like the way you think . . ."

He bounded away and wove in between the other characters' legs.

"Hey, Ellie!" Olaf shouted. He pushed through a group of robots and sat down next to her. Ellie gave him a sad smile.

"What's wrong? . . ." he asked.

"Oh, I don't know. This is all so overwhelming. To be honest, I have _no _idea what's going on . . ."

"It's simple: the Majordomo has gathered the characters of Fiction to hold a meeting."

"Majordomo? Who's the Majordomo?" Ellie asked.

"BITE MY SHINY METAL ASS!"

Ellie and Olaf watched as a robot and a ninja began to fight. After a couple of roundhouse kicks, the ninja turned into a porcupine and mauled his opponent. A deep voice boomed across the hall.

'ANIMALITY!'

"Olaf? Olaf!"

A young, freckled woman with braids was calling to the snowman from across the room with her mittens cupped around her mouth. She spotted Ellie and Olaf on the bench and dashed over.

"We have to go. Jack and Sally want to meet up with us downstairs . . ."

Olaf smiled and skipped away.

"Bye, Ellie!"

"Wait! Come back!" Ellie pleaded, "I don't know what to do . . ."

"We can answer your questions, Dr. Sattler . . ." two cartoon dinosaurs chorused. Ellie frowned with confusion. They looked like gallimimus, only they were green and blue, with bright markings on their faces.

"Who are _you_?" Ellie asked.

"That is not important," the male said smoothly.

"All you need to know is that we live in a realm _beyond_ the mysterious beyond," the female added.

"Uh-huh. So, what is this place?"

"This is the domicile of the Majordomo," the male answered.

"Who-"

"Many years ago, the creator of Fiction appointed him as ruler, in her place. He was among the first of us to be brought to life," the female said mystically.

"But how-"

"You confuse our guest with your riddles," a bipedal goat said calmly, stepping forward with a short cane in her hoof, "In order to explain our origins, we must start at the beginning . . ."

❧❧❧**TSJPFEW❧❧❧**

**Long ago, in the ancient Neoverse, the mighty monarch known as Elkay governed the Overworld with her sacred idol: The Star. Hailing from the land of Asterpara, she became the principal deity of the Overworld for countless years, bringing mankind great joy and prosperity by granting them the gift of ingenuity. With the power of The Star, she created Fiction to harbor the franchises that the Overworld created, allowing the characters to find a way to exist without fear of corruption. But as the stories became more complex, Elkay struggled to keep up with their ambition, creating doorways between worlds, separate canons, and ever-shifting narratives. In their arrogance, the artists continued to feed their ambition, despite her warnings. Soon, there were too many franchises to support, and Elkay was forced to deny countless creations the right to exist. Because of this bias, The Star rejected its bearer, and Elkay lost her divine powers. Unable to return to Asterpara, Elkay fell into a deep despair. She appointed her most trusted character as Majordomo and fled to an unknown land. No one has seen her since . . .**

❧❧❧**TSJPFEW❧❧❧**

The goat sighed and stared into the distance. Ellie blinked.

"Okay, I didn't understand _any_ of that . . ."

"You will, in time. Only in time . . ."

The goat waddled away slowly. Ellie frowned in confusion. _When did this become a Tolkien novel?_

"She's a bit dramatic . . ." a deep voice boomed melodically.

Ellie turned and saw a masked man leaning against the wall.

"Do _you_ know why I'm here?" Ellie asked hopefully.

"Yes, I do."

"Can you tell me?" she prompted.

"Certainly. You are here because the Majordomo requested your presence."

"So I've heard. This Majordomo . . . What's he like?"

The man shrugged.

"He's ruthless, authoritarian, stoic . . . and he hates your guts."

Ellie's eyes went wide.

"He _hates_ me? But I've never even _met _him!" she spat.

"You have . . ." he insisted.

Ellie shook her head.

"I don't think so."

"Regardless, I'd stay out of his way," the man advised.

"What? That's _ridiculous_! I have no reason to fear some _loser_ who holds a petty little grudge against me!"

"You think so?" he hummed.

"Of course!"

"You ought to tell him how you feel."

"Well, I won't use those words, exactly. I'm not _stupid _. . ."

A blue bird glided down from a banister and bowed down before the masked man.

"Majordomo, we're ready in the theatre."

Ellie's eyes went wide. The man gave a cunning smile.

"I don't think we were properly introduced. I'm the Majordomo."

Ellie couldn't speak.

"Hmmm. Why so silent?" the Majordomo chuckled.

"I- I'm sorry . . ." Ellie stammered.

"No. You're not. But you _will _be . . ."

Ellie frowned.

"You have _no right_ to threaten me like that!" she hissed.

"I do. Didn't you hear the soothsayer? _I'm_ in charge around here. Well, around _everywhere_, really," he said breezily, "And _nobody _challenges the Majordomo."

"Pity. This place could use a proper ruler."

The Majordomo laughed in an unsettling way.

"Oh, you're _too _cute. But you'll learn to respect me, soon enough . . . one way or another . . ."

He spun around so quickly that Ellie flinched. She growled and gnashed her teeth together.

"Who _ARE_ you?" Ellie rasped angrily.

The man turned around and smiled.

"The Majordomo."

"I'm not asking for your title. I'm asking for your _name_."

As the crowd filed into the auditorium, the man circled Ellie like a cobra might circle a mouse. She stood her ground, even raising her chin a little, in defiance. The Majordomo chuckled at her rebellious display. He spread his arms grandly.

"I, my dear, am the Phantom of the Opera."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan shifted in bed. He reached over for Ellie, but she wasn't there. Panicked, he sat up and looked around. There was a slight indent where Ellie had been lying, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Ellie?" Alan whispered.

Suddenly, Alan was blinded by a bright flash of light. When he regained his vision, he saw Ellie standing in front of him, looking very distraught. He stood up and held her hand.

"What-"

"Downstairs. Now."

They tiptoed down the hallway and snuck into the empty café. Alan pulled up a chair beside Ellie and rested his arm around her shoulders.

"What happened?"

"I was brought to a special meeting."

"Where? Why? What-"

"Shhh. Listen. Remember when we were sent to all of those different dimensions?"

"Naturally."

"Right. So, we _may_ have caused a disturbance . . ."

"By traveling to the Overworld?"

"In part. The Majordomo- He's the leader of Fiction- kept talking about this _one guy_ who referenced the Overworld too much, so he accidentally made a sequel-"

"A what?"

"A sequel to his movie. They fixed it with some sort of future-past thing . . . Yeah, I don't get it either. Anyway, _we_ did something like that, sending Wu to that other world."

"We-"

"We're fictional characters, Alan. If Wu stays in that other dimension, we are going to disappear."

"Why?"

"Because the other dimension is slowly becoming canon."

"What's _that_?"

"It means 'official'. The multiverse can't hold us _all_, not without the Starbearer . . . Don't give me that look! I _know_ how this sounds . . ."

"I believe you. Only . . . Only I'm not sure I _understand_."

"I can barely grasp it myself . . ." Ellie laughed cynically.

"So, you had a big seminar?" Alan confirmed.

"With fictional characters, yes."

As Ellie answered, Charlie came barreling out from behind the door.

"Was the Tooth Fairy there?"

"Sweetie! Why are you _up_?" Ellie gasped.

"Was the Tooth Fairy there?" Charlie repeated.

"I don't know. There was this hummingbird thing . . ."

"Charlie, go to bed!" Alan said sternly.

"But-"

"Now!"

"Aw, I _never_ get to stay when stuff's happening . . ."

He pattered grumpily down the hall. Alan turned to Ellie with a worried look on his face.

"Ellie, you said we'd disappear . . ." he pressed.

"Yes. If we don't fix this, we will cease to exist."

"And if we fix it? What then?"

"The other world will survive as well."

"Why?"

"Remember Batman Forever?"

"I try to forget."

"Well, nobody really considers it as _part_ of the other movies. It still exists, but it doesn't break the continuity of the first two films. There are two separate canons."

"Right. So, what do we have to do to fix it?"

Ellie grimaced.

"We have to bring back Henry Wu."


	33. Ellie

Alan shifted his feet as he braced himself for an attack. His left hiking boot made a small pile of dirt as he slid it across the ground. Looking up, Alan blinked and scanned his surroundings. He took a deep breath as Ellie appeared in front of him as a raptor. She turned her head, then remained absolutely still. Alan closed his eyes and listened carefully. A light rustling moved through the bushes-

"To the right," Alan sighed.

Charlie jumped out of a shrub and pawed at the ground in frustration.

"Aw, man! This is _really_ hard . . ." he muttered.

"Try again, sweetie," Ellie cooed gently.

Charlie snuffed and hopped through the foliage. Ellie tilted her head.

"Ahem. Turn around, Alan."

He crossed his arms.

"Do I _have_ to?"

Ellie raised an eyebrow and swirled her claws through the air. Alan frowned and spun around. After a few seconds, Ellie reappeared from behind a tree. Alan heard an even louder rustling from his left.

"RAWR!"

Alan stepped backwards lightly. Charlie landed softly on the dirt where he had been, his tail flopping uselessly to the ground. He rumbled disappointedly.

"Don't worry. You'll get it," Alan reassured him.

"You're just trying to make me feel better . . ." Charlie grumbled sourly.

Ellie padded over on light feet and prodded him gently.

"Here, why don't I show you how it's done. Turn around, Alan."

He frowned, but Ellie gave him a stern glare. With a deep sigh, Alan turned around and closed his eyes. He rotated three times, then looked around. Charlie appeared in front of him and giggled.

"Oh, don't look so sneaky!" Alan laughed.

"Shhh!" Charlie hissed.

Alan waited for a few seconds. He heard nothing. Charlie remained in front of him, smiling ever so slightly. Finally, Alan started to glance sideways.

"Ellie, are you-"

_WHUMP!_

A heavy animal landed on Alan's back.

"GAH!"

Alan fell face-down in the dirt. Charlie gave a cheer and dashed over.

"She was hiding in the tree, Dad!"

"I noticed . . ." Alan grunted.

Ellie sniggered and flipped Alan over with her leg.

"Now, Charlie: remember to keep one foot on the ground, otherwise he can roll over-"

Alan wriggled around under her claws.

"Stop_ squirming_, Alan! I'm trying to make a point."

"Yeah, and that 'point' is digging into my shoulder blade!"

Ellie raised her inner toe slightly. Charlie grabbed her tail and climbed up to her back.

"What do we do now?" he squeaked.

"We finish him off . . ."

Ellie dipped her head down and pretended to maul Alan's face. He gurgled, stuck out his tongue, and let his head fall to the side. Charlie slid down Ellie's snout and poked him.

"Are you okay?"

"Boo!"

Alan grabbed Charlie and tickled his belly. He giggled uncontrollably and kicked his legs in the air. Ellie rolled her eyes.

"I see hunting practice went well . . ."

Ellie turned her head.

"Hey, Val! Sorry we had to call you over on such short notice . . ."

"It's fine," she replied, "But shouldn't you get the _ghost_ to babysit Charlie while you're gone?"

Ellie sighed.

"After what happened_ last _time, I don't really think it's a good idea . . ."

"Fair enough. C'mon Charlie. We're going home."

Charlie pouted.

"Can't I come with you?" he whined, looking up at Ellie with puppy eyes.

"Sorry, Charlie. This is a grown-up trip," Ellie said kindly. She picked him up by the scruff of the neck and placed him on Val's back. Charlie pouted again, but Ellie nudged his side. They rubbed noses affectionately.

"I'll be back soon, I promise."

Charlie smiled and hugged her face. Alan ruffled Charlie's crest-feathers with one hand.

"We'll be fine."

Val gave them a quick nod and darted away.

'We're gonna have a lot of fun, you and I. Lance will teach you how to _really_ hunt . . . If I can pull him away from Jules, Jade, and Janice, that is . . .'

Alan raised an eyebrow.

"What did she say, Ellie?"

"Nothing important."

Alan gave her a questioning look.

"I'm serious!" Ellie laughed, "She's just talking about Lance, that's all . . ."

Alan exhaled sharply.

"I wish you would _tell_ me these things . . ."

"Oh, stop being so uptight!" she joked, rubbing against his side, "Come on. Let's go find Robin."

Alan followed her through the jungle, silently wondering why she hadn't demorphed yet.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan, Ellie, Ian, Sarah, Yannick, and Robin stood at the base of a massive platform. The silver crescents of the interdimensional machine were eerily still, frozen awkwardly in mid-spin . . . just as they had left them nearly three years ago. The underground lab was dusty and forlorn, and the room was an absolute wreck. From the collapsed catwalk to the puddle of dried blood near the forsaken scepter, there wasn't really a sense of whimsy to any of their surroundings.

With a furrowed brow, Ellie marched over to the claw-staff and plucked it out of the rubble.

"Robin, you'll have to touch this in order to learn the spinosaurus language."

She did as she was told. Ellie tossed the cane to the side unceremoniously.

"And what about _me_? _I'm_ female . . ." Sarah pointed out.

"Yes, but you don't carry the activated virus," Alan explained, "It's inside you, but it will remain dormant until you come across strong nuclear radiation, which we will most definitely _not_ be supplying."

"And Ellie?" Sarah persisted.

"I'm pretty sure that our little fight was enough to give me a good sense of the language," she huffed.

"But can it wear off?" Ian interjected, "I mean, this _was _three years ago . . ."

Ellie shrugged.

"It's no ordinary virus. One might even say that it's smart, or at least aware of context in some way. Otherwise, how do you explain the PMR healing?"

"And the absorption of clothing," Alan added.

"Or even Ray," Robin chirped, "I mean, he was barely alive when you flicked that power switch, Ellie."

"True. It's a little unsettling . . ." Ellie mumbled.

"But where would we be without it?" Alan wondered.

Yannick stepped up to the control panel.

"Well, I guess we'd better fire her up . . ." he said with a shrug.

"And you're _SURE_ you know what you're doing?" Ian asked. Yannick scoffed.

"I'm an engineer: even if I _didn't_, I wouldn't _tell_ anyone!"

"Yanni, dear, that's not very reassuring . . ." Robin said lightly.

"I'm sure we'll be fine!" Sarah said optimistically, "I mean, what could _possibly_ go wrong?"

Ian rubbed his forehead.

"I keep forgetting that you haven't met Wu . . ."

Sarah cuffed him playfully on the back of the neck. He smiled and pulled her closer. Yannick rolled his eyes.

"You know, it really oughta be someone _else _who stays behind," Alan grumbled, "We might need Yannick's help when- . . . _if _Wu decides to become violent with us."

"Alan, none of us knows how to operate this machine!" Ellie snapped, "For heaven's sake, you get intimidated by that little cartoon paperclip!"

"Hey, he was_ very_ unhelpful!" Alan muttered, "And I did _NOT_ need help writing a letter . . ."

"Who needs _letters_ when you have AOL?" Robin jested.

"This message has been sponsored by AOL," Ian quipped halfheartedly.

"Oh, shush! This is _serious_!" Ellie laughed.

Suddenly, the machine came to life. Yannick punched a code into the keyboard with his claws. The reflective moons spun in alternating directions, speeding up until they merged into a single entity.

"I found the right coordinates!" Yannick declared, "It's a good thing he was the last thing we sent through . . ."

Ellie took a deep breath as she looked into the glowing orb.

"So, what do we do? . . ." she whispered.

"Hold hands and walk into the glowy thing, I guess . . ." Robin replied with a small shrug. Ellie nodded.

"Before we go, are there any objections?" Alan asked halfheartedly.

"Plenty," Ian sighed, "But _since when_ have we paid attention to our common sense?"

Alan smiled.

"Alright, everyone! It's now or never . . ." Yannick shouted brashly.

Ellie held out her hand for Alan, who held out his hand for Ian, who held out his hand for Sarah, and finally, Sarah reached up and grasped Robin's claw. They gave a collective sigh and stepped into the gateway between their home and an unknown world.

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

As she felt the all-too-familiar sensation of an interdimensional pull, Ellie knew that something had gone horribly wrong. Instead of being attached to her friends, a force like centripetal acceleration seemed to be drawing her away from their grasp. She tightened her hand around Alan's.

"Ellie, what's wrong?"

"I- I don't know! I'm slipping!"

"Hang on!"

He yanked her upwards and held her to his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held on with all of her might.

"What's wrong with Ellie?" Ian asked as they plunged through the vortex.

"She-"

Suddenly, Alan jolted in pain. The unexpected jerk caused his arms to go limp, and Ellie nearly fell out of his grasp. He jolted again, and Ellie saw blood trickling down his shoulder.

"What-"

On the third jolt, Ellie slipped out of his arms. He grabbed her wrist.

"Alan! I'm going to fall!"

"No, you won't! I'm not letting go!"

"Alan . . ."

Ellie slipped down further. As she looked up over Alan's head, she could see two bright, white eyes staring at her through the storm.

"Alan, it's the Tr-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Ellie was yanked out of Alan's grasp. For a second or two, she could hear him calling out to her, and then he was gone.

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

Tumbling through the flashing lights and swiveling clouds, Ellie wondered whether she would slow down or land at her current velocity. She certainly hoped to avoid the latter, or she would most certainly end up as flat as a pancake.

In the blink of an eye, Ellie was standing on a hardwood floor in someone's living room. Judging by the dark sky outside, it was probably nighttime. That, or the pollution in this world was worse than California.

Although she had a dry throat from screaming, Ellie swallowed and began to shiver. If she was truly in someone else's home, then she was technically trespassing. By the look of things, the proprietor of this house was upper-middle-class, and would probably not appreciate the sudden appearance of a stranger in his or her living room.

Ellie snuck across the cedar as quietly as was humanly possible, holding her breath all the while. As she crept through an open doorway, she caused a floorboard to creak. There was a light shuffling from a nearby room. Ellie froze with her heart in her throat. Someone was coming.

Panicked, Ellie slid across the hardwood and bolted down the hallway. As she rounded the corner, however, she came face to face with-

-herself.

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

"Ellie! Ell-_ie_!"

"Quiet, Alan! You'll wake up all the dinosaurs!" Ian hissed.

"We have to find Ellie! She could be in trouble . . ."

"Don't worry, Alan. Yannick has a safety line set up on the other end of the machine. She'll come back with us, regardless of where she landed," Robin said cheerfully.

"And what if she's in the middle of the ocean? What if she's _drowning_?" Alan barked.

"Ellie wouldn't drown . . . again . . ." Ian hummed, "She's tougher than you think."

Alan paced back and forth.

"I know . . . I know. But we might not be able to do this without her . . ."

"Why not?" Robin chirped, "We have our linguist, our paleontologist, our chaotician, and whatever Sarah's supposed to be. We're good."

"Behavioral paleontologist . . ." Sarah grumbled.

"Right, so moral support."

Before a fight could break out, Alan stepped in between the two women and cleared his throat.

"Okay. We'd better get going. But if anything goes wrong, we bolt. Is everyone okay with this plan?"

"Yes."

"Sure."

"PEE-PEE-TSOO!"

Alan nodded.

"Alright. Let's go find Wu . . ."

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

Ellie hadn't broken eye contact with her other self. They stood as still as statues, hardly taking in a single breath as they stared into each others' eyes with indescribable emotions flitting between them. The other Ellie had been carrying a turquoise plate, which lay shattered on the floor. Ellie was sure that neither of them had heard it drop.

Finally, the other Ellie put her hand over her mouth and began to back away in fear.

"Wait! I can explain!" Ellie shouted desperately.

The other Ellie waited for her to shed some light on the situation. Ellie choked a little, then fell silent.

"Who _are_ you?" the other Ellie whispered.

"I'm you, only . . . only I'm from another world. It sounds crazy, I know, but here I am . . ."

"You're me . . . You're _me_ . . ."

"Yes, exactly! But not quite. It's hard to explain . . ." Ellie stammered.

"What do you _want_ from me?" the other Ellie asked with dread.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Ellie insisted, "This was an accident. I wasn't supposed to end up here. I'll be leaving just as soon as- . . . Are those pendant lights?"

The other Ellie turned and looked at the hanging lamps above the dining room table.

"Yes . . ." she said cautiously.

"Where did you get them? I've been looking for something like that for _ages_!"

"Uh . . . I think it was just a hardware store in Oklahoma . . . I forget what it was called. Can I help you? . . ."

Ellie rubbed the back of her neck.

"Well, I'm kind of stuck here for a few hours . . ."

"Would you like a cup of coffee, or . . ."

Ellie sighed.

"Coffee sounds nice."

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

"He-llo-oh? Big, angry, spinosaurus man? You there?"

"Errr, Robin? I don't think Wu would appreciate that kind of nickname . . ." Ian hummed.

"Well, what am I _supposed _to call him? '_Spiney_'?"

"How about 'Wu'?" Alan grumbled. Robin rumbled in annoyance.

"Guys, I don't recognize these dinosaurs . . ." Sarah said quietly.

Through the dense jungle, the gang caught brief glimpses of strange dinosaurs. Some of them seemed miscolored, and others were simply unidentifiable. It reminded Alan of the Sorna ecosystem, only it was amplified to an insane degree. Never before had he seen dappled brachiosaurs, bright green T-Rexes, or splotchy raptors. Some dinosaurs didn't even seem real. A quadrupedal dilophosaurus with a crest wandered by them, and all Alan could do was stare.

"Hey! It's a dilophosaurolophus!" Robin joked.

"Is it just me, or do the velociraptors here have a certain utahraptor-ey look to them?" Ian asked. Robin giggled.

"They might be veloci-raptors . . . Okay, that one doesn't work as well . . ."

"Guys, focus! We need to find your toothy friend," Sarah sighed.

"Friend? Ack! Even as a sarcastic remark, that sounds wrong!" Robin muttered.

Suddenly, a pack of raptors glided through the foliage. They squawked and squealed, circling the gang like wolves.

"Don't worry! I'm fluid in raptornese," Robin boasted.

Alan watched as she stepped over to the alpha female.

'Excuse me, but could you tell us where to find a big, mean spinosaurus?'

The raptor cocked her head.

'You mean Henry?'

'Henry Wu? Yes!'

The raptor snuffed and nibbled at her left claw.

'What do you want to find HIM for? Do you have a deathwish or something?'

Robin shook her head.

'We have to bring him back to our world. He-'

'Oh, thank god! He's been nothing but trouble ever since he got here!'

'I can imagine. Would you be so kind as to point us in the right direction?'

The raptor nodded.

'Sure, sure. But tell me: are these humans your pets?'

Robin laughed.

'Something like that . . .'

A male raptor padded up to Alan, who cowered like a frightened mouse.

'Hey, boss! This one looks familiar . . .'

'Yeah! It's the man who speaks raptor!' another male said excitedly, 'Say something, why don't you?'

Robin turned to Alan.

"They want you to speak raptor."

Alan frowned.

"I don't-"

"Just say a couple of words. Anything, really."

Alan sighed.

"I'll try . . ."

He stepped forward and took a deep breath.

'Hello.'

'Hi!' a raptor replied gleefully.

'Floats on his back, you know where the big dinosaur fossils?'

The raptor pulled his neck back in an S-shape.

'What the hell? . . .'

'We are one of the world comes cloudy island.'

'Uh . . .'

'I like the ball in the sink.'

The alpha shuffled up to the confused male.

'I think he might have been dropped as a baby . . .'

'We are home to many birds. My partner is in the valley, and to help our elected leaders. We are blue parrot feathers fly around a dinosaur adopted son.'

Robin gave an awkward grin.

'If you guys could show us the way now, that'd be great . . .'

The alpha raptor pointed to the Southeast.

'Thank you,' Robin said politely, "C'mon Alan . . ."

Alan waved to the raptors as they left.

'Cow!'

They cocked their heads.

'Big cow!'

The pack watched in silence as the gang trudged into the jungle. When they were gone, one of the males turned to the alpha.

'Well, at least he made more sense than _last _time . . .'

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

As it just so happened, Ellie found that talking to herself could be quite entertaining. It was interesting to see her alternate persona in a suburban setting, especially since Ellie hadn't visited a normal household for quite some time. Speaking of which, she would have to keep quiet about the island. Something told her that_ this_ Ellie wasn't particularly fond of dinosaurs.

"So, are you still working as a paleobotanist?" Ellie asked curiously. The other Ellie shook her head.

"No, I'm a children's book author. Fossils aren't really my thing anymore . . ."

"Why not?"

"Well, you know . . ."

Ellie gave her a confused frown.

"Jurassic Park," the other Ellie elaborated.

"So . . . you never went back?"

"God, no! Why _would _I?"

Ellie shrugged.

"More coffee?" the other Ellie offered. Ellie shook her head.

"If you don't mind my asking . . . Why exactly did you quit your job?"

"Bad memories. That, and-"

She cut off and gave Ellie an uncomfortable shrug.

"And, what?" Ellie asked.

"Alan."

Ellie tilted her head.

"What about him?"

"Things got awkward . . ."

"Awkward? Why?"

The other Ellie grimaced.

"Can we change the subject?"

"No! What happened to Alan?" Ellie persisted.

"Nothing! It's more about . . . Well . . ."

The other Ellie sighed.

"I guess you two haven't split up yet . . ." she muttered.

"SPLIT UP?" Ellie gasped, "YOU'RE NOT WITH ALAN?"

"Keep your voice down!" the other Ellie hissed, "The kids are sleeping . . ."

"And you have _children_? You married _someone else_?" Ellie breathed.

"I don't see what the big deal is. _You're_ not even wearing a ring . . ."

Ellie scoffed indignantly.

"Well, we never technically- Look, this isn't about me! Why did you abandon Alan?"

"Abandon? Is _that_ what you call it? As far as I'm concerned,_ I_ wasn't the unsupportive side of our relationship!"

Ellie's eyes went wide.

"So HE broke up with YOU?"

"No!"

Ellie clenched her fists angrily.

"Why did you leave him?"

"I wanted a family."

"But Alan would have given you one! I _know _he would . . . Don't you remember how good he was with Tim and Lex?"

"Who?"

Ellie blinked.

"Right . . ."

"You ought to be careful, you know," the other Ellie muttered grimly, "He'll betray you eventually . . ."

"_BETRAY_ ME? Are you kidding? _You're_ the one who dumped-"

"I didn't have much of a _choice_, did I? He wasn't ready for a real commitment. He _never_ was . . ."

Tears began to brim at the other Ellie's eyes. Ellie reached out her hand and placed it on hers.

"Alan would do _anything _for me . . . for us."

The other Ellie shook her head as a tear fell down her cheek.

"No . . . No, he wouldn't."

"He would. You need to be patient-"

"Give me _one _good reason why I should sit and wait for him to pull his shit together!"

"You love Alan."

The other Ellie yanked her hand away.

"You. Love. Alan," Ellie insisted.

"Not anymore . . ." the other Ellie sneered bitterly.

From upstairs, the pitterpatter of tiny feet crossed the ceiling.

"Shit. That'll be Charlie . . ."

"You have a Charlie _too_?" Ellie beamed.

A short, blonde, human toddler waddled into the kitchen. Ellie didn't know what she had been expecting, but it was a little strange to see a non-raptor child in the other Ellie's arms.

"Hey, baby. What are you doing up?"

The child stopped chewing on his fist and looked at Ellie.

"Why are there _two_ of you?"

The other Ellie winced and turned to Ellie.

"I'm gonna tuck him in. Be back in five . . ."

She marched down the hallway and plodded up the stairs. When she was out of sight, Ellie looked around the kitchen. Amongst kindergarten art and newspaper clippings were family photos and other images that showed an unfamiliar cast of characters. Ellie didn't know a single person in the photographs, yet there they were, smiling beside her other self as though they had known her for years (which might very well be the case). There was no Robin, no Sarah, no Val . . . only strangers. Apparently, the other Ellie had gone camping with some of these friends. It was a memory that had never existed for the true Ellie.

She snapped out of her reflection as the other Ellie came trotting down the stairs.

"I tell you, that kid is _insanely_ hyper. He _never_ goes to bed for more than a half-hour . . ."

Ellie smiled and nodded as her doppelgänger took a seat. The other Ellie pulled her coffee cup closer and took a sip.

"So, you said that _you_ have a Charlie?" she asked, "What's he like?"

"He's the sweetest kid you'll ever meet. I love him to bits," Ellie chuckled.

"And . . . is he Alan's?"

"Alan's and mine, yes."

The other Ellie nodded.

"Sorry if I upset you with my ramblings. Truth is, I'm still a little hurt. But I'm glad that you were able to find happiness. You _are_ happy, right?"

"Yes, you?"

"Of course."

As much as Ellie hated to admit it, she had been hoping that her other self would, at least, pause before answering.

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

"Okay, guys. We must be getting close. I can smell a new dinosaur on the trail . . ." Robin said, pressing her nose to the ground.

"What are you, a bloodhound?" Sarah quipped.

"Shhh!" Alan hissed.

"What? Do you hear something?"

"No. I just want you to be quiet."

Sarah frowned and trudged up the trail. She stopped when her foot landed on a crunchy baton. Lifting her shoe, she saw a white, fragmented stick.

"It's a dinosaur bone . . ."

"Yeah, I can kind of tell!" Alan snapped.

A loud hiss made them all freeze.

"Uh . . . What was that?"

They turned to see a giant crocodilian theropod staring down at them from above the trees. It had a large sail running down its spine, and its jaws were dripping with blood.

"Is that Wu? . . ." Sarah whispered.

The monster growled.

"I don't think he has his memory back . . ." Ian said sotto-voce.

'I do . . .'

"He says he does . . ." Robin repeated.

Alan stepped forward.

"Urrr . . . Hello, Dr. Wu! It's been a while . . ."

Wu rumbled angrily.

"Look, just so you know, if you try to kill us, we'll be pulled back into our own dimension, so don't even try it!" Sarah snapped.

'Who is _this_? . . .' Wu hissed, glaring at Sarah.

'Sarah Harding,' Robin replied.

'I _knew_ she looked familiar! Well, you can tell her that her father was a traitor to InGen!'

'He was nothing of the sort!' Robin growled, 'Besides, Ellie's InGen is far better than yours _ever _was!'

Wu jeered.

'_Ellie's_ InGen? . . .'

Robin raised her head proudly.

'Yeah! She's the CEO now! _And_ she's the raptor chieftain! I'd like to see you top _that_!'

Wu snarled.

"Robin, whatever you're saying, stop it! We don't want him to be angry . . ." Alan mumbled.

'Why have you come here? Are you going to finish me off, once and for all?' Wu barked.

'Tempting . . . but no,' Robin replied, 'We're bringing you back to our world. There, you will be detained until we can figure out what to do with you.'

'And what makes you think I'll come back willingly?'

Robin shrugged.

'We're offering you a chance at redemption. Isn't _that _enough?'

'Henry, who are you talking to?' a female voice whined from the side. A brown theropod with a long snout and a lightly speckled underbelly pushed through the bushes. When she caught sight of the crew, she lowered her head and hissed.

'Humans! . . .'

'And what are YOU supposed to be?' Robin blathered.

'I'm a barymimus.'

'A _what_?' Robin asked, placing emphasis on the "H".

'A baryonyx-suchomimus hybrid,' she huffed with agitation.

'Well, _that's_ not very exciting . . .'

'What do you mean?' she hissed.

Robin waved her claws nonchalantly.

'I mean, they're practically the same thing. Why not mix it up a bit? You could add a T-Rex, a splash of raptor, a sn-'

'Shut up! I'm not a toy!'

Robin shuffled backwards.

'Sorry. But if there's _one person_ you should accuse of being a "Dr. Moreau", it's Wu.'

The barymimus stomped her foot angrily.

'_This_ Henry is _nothing _like the one who created me: he's kind, compassionate, humble . . .'

'Something tells me that you don't know him very well . . .' Robin snickered.

'I know him better than you!' the dinosaur growled.

'Doubt it.'

'Would you_ please _be _quiet_!' Wu roared, 'I'm _sick_ of listening to all of this _bickering_!'

'See? He hates bickering. He's a nice guy . . .' the barymimus insisted to prove a point.

'Ack! Not the way _I_ see it!' Robin gurgled.

'Well, you see it the _wrong way_, then!' she retorted.

'Why are you so _sure_ that Wu is friendly? He tried to kill me _and _my friends, after all! I'm surprised he hasn't tried to murder you in cold blood . . .'

'Henry would never hurt me.'

'What? Why n-'

Robin looked from the barymimus to Wu.

'Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me . . .'

/_TSJPFEW_\\\

"So, you're in the year 2003?" Ellie asked, "That's quite a gap . . ."

"Mhm. I'm not going to sell you any futuristic technology, so don't ask," the other Ellie joked.

"I wouldn't need it anyway. Alan and I just came across quite a bit of money. Tell me, how is Hammond doing in this world?"

"He died over fifteen years ago . . ."

"I'm sorry."

"Well, I never really knew him like you did. I only really got involved with InGen in '93 . . ."

"As did I. But _your _InGen has existed for . . ."

"Thirty years, give or take."

"Interesting . . ."

The bright glare of car headlights filtered through the windows near the entranceway. The other Ellie stood up and pushed her chair away from the table.

"Mark is home . . ."

"Mark? Mark _Degler_?" Ellie gasped.

"Pantry. Now."

Ellie squeezed into the pantry while her alternate self jogged over to the front hall. The door opened, then closed. Ellie peeked through a crack in the pantry as a semi-familiar man lumbered into the kitchen.

"Sorry I'm late: I had a lot of work to catch up on . . ."

He leaned in and kissed his wife. Ellie bit her tongue as she started to gag. This was so _wrong_ . . .

"Did you have a friend over? . . ." Mark asked, picking up Ellie's abandoned coffee mug.

"I . . . I made it for you, but I got a bit impatient . . ."

"That's okay. I can make more . . ."

He turned around and headed for the pantry.

"_NO_!" the other Ellie gasped.

Mark turned around and gave her a confused look.

"You . . . You'll be up all night . . ." the other Ellie said nervously. Mark gave her a coy smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I was planning on staying up, anyway . . ."

The other Ellie laughed awkwardly.

"This isn't really a good time . . ."

In the pantry, Ellie frowned deeply. How _dare_ he make advances on this other Ellie? And why was she _letting_ him? This was all backwards! She should have married _Alan_, not Mark friggin' Degler!

Ellie turned her head and grimaced as Mark began to kiss the other Ellie's neck. This was so wrong, this was so _wrong_ . . .

"Why don't you head upstairs?" the other Ellie suggested, "I'll be up just as soon as I load the dishwasher . . ."

Mark gave her an oily grin and slid down the hall. When his footsteps had grown faint, Ellie stepped out of the pantry.

"I want you out of my house!" the other Ellie hissed.

"Why? So you can go upstairs and join him?" Ellie sneered.

"That is none of your business. Now, shoo!"

Ellie crossed her arms.

"I have nowhere to go! Besides, I can't be called back until the others decide to-"

"Others? There are _more_ of you?" the other Ellie gasped.

"Yes. Well, not _here_, exactly . . ."

"Please, just go . . ." the other Ellie pleaded.

"I will _not_!" Ellie snapped, "I refuse to let you sleep with that man!"

The other Ellie spread her fingers across her chest in offense.

"_WHAT_? Mark is _my_ husband! And I'll _do_ what I want!"

"_Who_ you want, you mean."

"Not funny."

"No, it really isn't . . ."

The two Ellies glared at each other with a deep hatred. Finally, the true Ellie scoffed and smiled pompously.

"So . . . is he better than Alan?"

The other Ellie's eyes went wide.

"How dare-"

"Answer the question."

As the other Ellie moved forward with violent intent, a bright light whisked the real Ellie away to the underground lab. She shook her head and sniffed angrily as the fog began to clear. Alan approached her from behind. She turned around and laced her fingers through his.

"We were worried about you . . ." he mumbled.

Ellie smiled.

"I'm fine."

Above them, the massive figure of Henry Wu growled angrily. Beside him, a long-snouted theropod hissed with disdain. Robin gave Ellie an apologetic look.

"I guess we have some explaining to do . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Majordomo . . . Major-DODO, I say!"

A group of characters had gathered around a circular table in a dimly-lit basement. They held cards in their hands (and claws, and talons) and sipped at their respective drinks. Blu, who had just spoken, ruffled his feathers angrily.

"Hey, don't take it so hard . . ." a toy astronaut said in a gruff voice, "He's always been a little touchy . . ."

"Touchy? TOUCHY? The man is _insane_!" Blu shrieked, "He is _always_ watching! He is always _singing_ something . . ."

"Oi, does anyone know how to play bridge?" a twitchy metal ball asked casually, "I'll bet I'd be a champion bridge-player!"

Blu flapped his wings in irritation.

"Are you even LISTENING to me?"

"You need not worry about the Majordomo . . ." a golden lion boomed.

"Easy for_ you_ to say! We can't _all_ be metaphors with teeth!" Blu squawked.

"Well, if you ask me, an election is long-overdue," a white dog interjected suavely, "I mean, how many of us are actually satisfied with the current management?"

A blonde boy with suspenders raised his hand.

"Stop being a suck-up, Jack . . ." the dog huffed flatly.

A duck in a sailor's outfit waddled over with a fresh drink. Jack took one look at it and frowned.

"I specifically asked for _no ice_ . . ."

"Aw, phooey!" the duck spat.

"Gentlemen, please! This matter should remain behind closed doors . . ." a british alien said quickly.

"Oh yeah, Delbert?" the astronaut piped up, "So, tell me, how much did your movie make at the box office?"

"That is _irrelevant_!" he retorted with pretentious dignity, "Besides, I earned my money _honestly_, unlike you! At least_ I_ didn't have to steal from Balto . . ."

"Guys, guys! Calm down!" Jack insisted, "We can't have an election! Not without Elkay . . ."

The simple mention of the exiled leader's name made everyone uncomfortable. It was as though they feared to analyze the subtext of their conversation.

"She's gone, Jack. Everyone knows that she isn't coming back!" the astronaut said defiantly.

"Now, hold on!" Delbert interjected, "There is _no_ proof that this is permanent."

"There's no proof it _isn't_ . . ." the dog replied grimly.

"A leader may vanish for years and years-"

"Shut up, Jesus-Lion!" Blu squawked. The lion did not change his mien, but walked away from the table, nonetheless.

"Oh, _tremendous_!" the metal ball spat, "You've scared him away!"

"Ha! We're better off without him!" Blu declared, "Now, can we _please_ talk like civilized people?"

"If you're going to spark dissidence, then no," Jack replied smoothly.

"But the Majordomo is a tyrant! Brian, _you_ get what I'm saying . . ."

The dog shrugged.

"I have to admit that Blu has a point. There's no use waiting for things to get better if our leader isn't ready for change . . ."

"Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me, I don't want any part in this!" Delbert snapped briskly. He pushed away from the table and slammed the basement door.

"Anyone else?" Brian asked.

The astronaut sighed and hopped off of his chair. The metal ball looked anxiously from side to side.

"Errr . . . If someone could carry me away, that'd be spectacular . . ."

The duck grabbed him and waddled out the door. Brian, Jack, and Blu leaned in closer and lowered their voices.

"So, what are we gonna do about the Majordomo?" Blu asked.

"We could try to rally up a protest group," Jack suggested.

"Good idea! I'm tired of being the butt-monkey. It's time to patrol the flock!" Blu cheered.

"I don't know, guys . . . The Majordomo is pretty untouchable," Brian sighed.

"But is Elkay's divine right even _valid _anymore? I mean, it's been a _long time_ . . ." Jack pointed out.

"True," Blu chirped, "And the Majordomo has grown a serious attitude, since then. He thinks he's so _great_, just because-"

"Broadways don't have sequels. We know," Brian huffed, "His canon is sturdy, _that's _for sure."

"How many adaptations has he crushed over the years? Over a dozen, I'd say . . ." Blu estimated.

"Personally, I'd prefer the Universal version," Jack jested, "It's a classic."

"But we can't replace him with _that_. How does one top the longest-running show? No, we can't override his canon. We'll have to think of something else . . ."

"Speaking of Universal . . ." Brian began.

"Oh, _no_! Don't even _mention_ the Jurassic Park people! I nearly had my tailfeathers ripped out!"

"Hey, why does he hate those guys so much, anyway?" Jack asked, "He never really told me . . ."

"The tale you seek is known by few. But I will tell the lore to you."

They turned as a zebra with intricate jewelry appeared from the shadows.

"Okay, creepy zebra-lady . . . Explain!" Blu prompted.

"There was time in days gone past,

When Phantom had his peers surpassed.

In Alan Grant, he found a friend,

A man on whom he could depend.

For he was second in command,

This character from Crichton Land."

"So he knew the novel characters?" Brian asked, "Interesting . . ."

"They worked as one, they seldom fought,

They won, they lost, they learned, they taught.

Their secrets and their hopes, they'd share,

No one could make a better pair."

"So, what happened?" Jack asked.

"Without Elkay, The Star was weak,

And so the canons it did tweak.

The story flipped and changed its path,

In '93. You do the math."

As the zebra trotted away, the characters gave each other guilty looks. They sat for a moment in silence, not wanting to further their discussion. Finally, Blu sighed.

"Maybe we should just wait this one out . . ."

They all nodded in agreement.


	34. Matriarch

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Seriama," Robin said as Ellie and the gang of raptors escorted their prisoners to a holding pen, "Her hobbies include being a dinosaur and getting romantically involved with Wu. Does anyone else find this creepy?"

'Oh, fine talk, coming from you!' Wu hissed, 'Isn't_ your_ partner a dinosaur?'

Robin scoffed.

"We weren't _always_ dinosaurs! It's not like I just decided to hook up with a _raptor_ or something!"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Val asked nervously, "Humans liking raptors, I mean?"

Robin raised her eyebrow.

"For example. Not that I have anything against raptors, but . . . Well, you know . . ."

"Is it not acceptable?" Val wondered.

"For humans to hook up with non-humans? That's just weird! . . . Why?"

"No reason."

They approached a large enclosure. Ellie (who was currently a raptor) sprouted wings and flitted up to the control tower. After a minute of fiddling, she managed to open the front gate. Wu and his consort entered without a fuss.

'And STAY in!' Crusher growled.

'No need to be rude, Crusher . . .' Ellie mumbled.

'It's quite alright,' Wu said with a false politeness, 'I don't expect anything more from a raptor.'

Crusher hissed. Val pulled him back gently.

'Don't let him provoke you. He likes to play mind-games . . .'

'Not that he has much of a mind to play with . . .' Wu snuffed.

Bucky and Kipper grabbed Crusher as he lunged forward. Otto stepped in front of him breezily.

'Alright, everyone! I want at least two of you patrolling this fence at all times,' Ellie proclaimed, 'If he shows even a hint of hostility, call me right away.'

Crusher growled.

'If he messes with_ us_, he won't live to tell the tale . . .'

Ellie bit her lip.

'Crusher, a word? . . .'

He flew up to Ellie and perched himself on the railing of the control tower.

'I don't think you should take this shift . . .' Ellie began.

'Why not? Do you think I'll be manipulated by him? I'm not _stupid_!' Crusher spat.

'I know, I know. It's just . . . You get a bit _aggressive_, sometimes . . .'

'Well, yeah! But I won't blow this mission,' he insisted.

Ellie winced.

'If you get carried away . . .'

'I won't!'

'You sometimes disagree with my plans-'

'But I've never gone against your will, have I? Why don't you trust me? . . .'

Ellie twiddled her fingers awkwardly. She didn't want to upset Crusher, but . . .

'Is it because I called you a wimp?'

'No . . . Not really . . .'

'It is! I _knew_ it! You think I'm like Tuhuma, don't you?'

'Crusher, you're _nothing_ like Tuhuma . . .'

'You don't believe that . . .'

'Crusher . . .'

He fluffed his white feathers indignantly.

'Fine. If you want me to go, I'll go! Good luck with your too-important-to-screw-up plans!'

'Crusher, wait!'

Ellie reached out for him, but he glided off of the tower and soared above the treetops. From below, Val gave her a questioning frown. Ellie shrugged and climbed down the tower, demorphing along the way. When she reached the bottom, Wu followed her around the perimeter of the fence.

'Do I sense a hint of dissension?' he sneered.

'Everything is fine,' Ellie replied calmly.

'You sure? Because it doesn't _seem _fine . . .'

'You're even less subtle than before. I'm not going to fall for your tricks . . .'

'Of course not,' Wu stated, 'You're the brave and noble leader, after all. You can do whatever you want, even if that includes holding me hostage on your island while you set up some crazy plan to keep your staff from losing faith in your management . . . Sounds a bit familiar, don't you think? . . .'

As Ellie turned, a very panicked Donald Gennaro flew in from the sky and began to knot his ghostly tie in anguish.

"Ellie! Your mother is here!"

"_WHAT_?! She wasn't supposed to arrive until _tomorrow_!" Ellie shrilled.

"I know, but she's waiting at the dock _RIGHT NOW_!"

Ellie slowed her breathing and turned to the raptors.

"Alright, everyone. You know what to do. I have to go."

She grabbed a set of keys from the side of the tower and flung her backpack over her shoulder.

'Better hurry . . . You wouldn't want to give your secret away . . .' Wu chuckled. Ellie glared at him, then hopped into a nearby jeep. Bucky and Kipper waved to her as she zoomed across the field.

'Don't worry, Ellie! We have everything under control!' Kipper shouted brightly.

'So . . . are we screwed?' Bucky asked, still waving.

'Oh, yes,' Kipper replied.

***TSJPFEW***

Eleonora Sattler was a woman who practically oozed dignity. From the second she stepped down from her rented boat, she had already filched everyone's full attention. She wore a red sunhat, dark glasses, and a translucent scarf. The woman looked like an elderly tourist, and a very stuck-up one, at that. She scanned the dock like a pompous falcon, holding her acrylic nails to her chest as though she took offense from every grain of sand. Her scarf blowing in the wind, she clicked down the dock with a stork-like gait.

"Hello, Mother . . ." Ellie said in a too-bright tone, "How was-"

"Stand up straight, Ellen. You look kyphotic."

Ellie winced.

"And so it begins . . ." Alan muttered.

Mrs Sattler circled Ellie, examining her attire and composure.

"You certainly don't dress to impress . . ."

"I wasn't expecting your sudden arrival," Ellie replied with venom. Alan slid between the mother and daughter. He squeezed Ellie's hand in understanding.

"It's a pleasure to have you over-"

"Is your hairline receding, Alan? It's getting worse every year . . ."

Alan smiled with tight lips. Ellie gave a small squeak.

"Hello, Mrs Sattler!" Ian said pleasantly, attempting to break the ice.

"Mom, this is Ian Malcolm, the mathematician . . ."

"Chao-"

Sarah stomped on Ian's foot.

"Ow! . . . Yes, I'm a mathematician," he grunted.

Mrs Sattler squinted her eyes.

"Aren't you the fellow who went crazy and started accusing a genetics company of-"

"Mom, this is Sarah and Kelly," Ellie interrupted.

Sarah gave her a nod and Kelly shook her hand. Mrs Sattler returned the gesture, but with an easily detectable hesitance.

"Are you supposed to be Malcolm's daughter? . . ." she snuffed.

"Yes . . ." Kelly replied, no stranger to such remarks. Mrs Sattler turned to Ellie and held her hand across the side of her mouth in a stage-whispering fashion.

"Ellen, this child can't be his! She's a-"

Ellie began to hawk and cough loudly. Mrs Sattler seemed very confused.

"Do you have a cold, dear? I wouldn't be surprised if you caught leprosy in this dingy-"

"Mother, this is Ray Arnold, our head technician," Ellie said quickly.

As Ray shook her hand, Mrs Sattler gave a look of "Oh-Not-Another-One" and curled her lip. Unfortunately, the hand she had chosen to shake was the synthetic one, and it promptly detached from his shoulder with a light _pop_. Mrs Sattler shrieked and tossed the arm over the edge of the pier, where a school of silver fish nibbled at it with sharp teeth.

For a moment, everyone stared at the rotating arm, then Ellie clapped her hands and smiled.

"Who's hungry?"

***_TSJPFEW_***

As it just so happened, Mrs Sattler had brought Ellie's parrot, Jack, to the island in a not-so-subtle attempt to get rid of him. They placed his cage in the dining hall, where he spouted nonsense and squawked like a broken phone. Charlie attempted to communicate with him as a bird, but it was a futile effort. Giving up, he perched himself in the rafters, glaring at his twin with contempt.

"So, tell me, dear: how did you manage to start up your own business on such a feeble salary?" Mrs Sattler asked as Ellie, Alan, and Ian sat down for supper. Like many of Mrs Sattler's comments, a nasty undertone embellished what would have otherwise been idle chitchat. This was ignored, but not unnoticed.

"Well . . . Alan and I inherited this property from an associate of ours."

"Dr. Malcolm?"

"Oh, no . . . I don't work here," Ian blathered, "I'm really more of a friend-"

"So, they accommodate you at no extra charge?" Mrs Sattler gasped.

Ellie closed her eyes, silently praying that this wasn't going where she thought it was going.

"Cheap bunch, aren't they?" Mrs Sattler whispered.

Ian nearly spat out his drink. Ellie looked as though she might die. Alan just sat still, not wanting to make the situation worse.

"Well, I'd better see how Sarah and Kelly are doing . . ." Ian drawled after a moment of silence, giving Ellie a friendly wink. As he cleared his place, Ellie mouthed a quick apology. He nodded and sent her a brief smile. The doors swung open and shut as he exited.

"Well, now that _that's_ over with, tell me: are you still adamant about having children?" Mrs Sattler asked. Ellie narrowed her eyes.

"Actually, Alan and I have a son-"

"Oh! How exciting! Why didn't you tell me? I didn't even know you were pregnant!"

"I wasn't. We adopted."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk! You know what they say about adopted children: they're an accident waiting to happen!"

A light rustling came from the rafters. Ellie resisted the urge to look up.

"Mother, there is _nothing wrong_ with adopted children-"

"Of course there is!" Mrs Sattler replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I heard of an adopted boy who burned down his parents' house. _On purpose_. And there was a girl, once, who pawned her parents' jewelry to buy a car. No word of a lie! How can you know anything about this child's lineage? What if his parents were violent nutjobs-"

"Stop it, Mother . . ."

"I'm just saying: it doesn't seem like a wise decision-"

"Mother, _stop_ . . ."

"Well, don't you go blaming me when something bad happens! You shouldn't trust-"

"ENOUGH!" Ellie screamed, slamming her fist on the table. This sent Jack into a hysteric fit. He flapped his wings and sent the loose feathers at the bottom of his cage flying.

"AWK! ADOPTED! AWK!"

Ellie stood up quickly, practically knocking over her chair. Alan stood up as well, but she pushed him away. Storming out of the room with utter fury, Ellie slammed the door and stomped through the Visitors' Center. In the main lobby, she grabbed a cushion off of a nearby sofa and screamed into it. This helped a little, though tossing it to the ground was much more therapeutic. Ellie shook with anger, pacing back and forth like a caged tiger. She could hear Alan struggling to appease her mother in the other room. He sounded frightened.

Slowly, as she began to calm down, Ellie's breathing evened out. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

"Are you okay?"

Charlie flitted across the room and demorphed, landing lightly in Ellie's arms. She cradled him gently and smiled.

"I'm fine," she said in a wobbly voice.

He smiled and curled up against her chest. She rubbed his forehead with her thumb.

"Charlie, I want you to know that nothing my mother said was true . . ."

"I know," he chirped, "If you thought I was dangerous, you would have kicked me out a long time ago."

Ellie laughed faintly.

"I'd never send you away . . ."

"Not even if I bit off your hand?"

"Not even then," Ellie giggled, hugging him tight. Charlie sighed and looked up at her.

"You don't think I'm like my first mother, do you?"

Ellie didn't know how to respond. Charlie was well aware that his biological mother had been a less-than-exemplary parent, but there was no easy way to admit this fact without the conversation getting very awkward.

Realizing that he had asked a difficult question, Charlie found his own answer.

"I don't think a person has to be exactly like their parents, 'else we'd have a lot of problems . . ." he philosophized.

"Oh, yeah?" Ellie hummed.

"Yeah. Parents can teach you how to be good, but they can also show you how not to make the same mistakes they do. I guess that's why you're so nice, and your mom-"

He bit his lip.

"It's okay Charlie. I know what you mean."

He gave a weak smile.

"I guess neither of our mothers were perfect."

"No one is . . ."

"Maybe. But I think that you are very terrific."

Ellie beamed with adoration.

"You know, you're very verbose for your age . . ."

"I think I get it from you."

Ellie laughed and hugged Charlie close. He wrapped his arms around her neck and purred. After a moment, the distinct sound of an angry Mrs Sattler echoed down the hall. Promptly morphing into a parrot, Charlie stepped up onto Ellie's shoulder. They shared one last smile before heading into the dining hall to face Ellie's evil mother.

***_TSJPFEW_***

'Henry . . . Henry, they're asleep . . .' Seriama whispered. She pointed to the snoring raptors, who drooled as they leaned up against the fence.

'I know. Let them lie,' he replied in an even tone. His consort pawed at the ground, then slid through the fence like a greased weasel. Henry gestured for her to come back, but she refused.

'Come on, Henry! This is our chance! They don't know I have powers . . .'

'Yes, and you are wasting the element of surprise by showing them off so early. Get back inside.'

She did as she was told, though she scowled in confusion.

'What's the _matter _with you? Don't you wanna escape?' she whined.

'Of course. But this maneuver must be executed tactfully. We need access to the underground lab, or I won't be able to cure myself of this ridiculous disease . . .'

'I don't think it's ridiculous . . .' she said quietly.

'Regardless, I need enough time to adjust the cure so that I won't lose my memory. If we can obtain the serum, it'll be a breeze to travel to Sorkin's abandoned lab and mix things up a bit.'

Seriama dipped her head below Henry's chin and rubbed up against him affectionately.

'And you'll make sure that I can change too, right? . . .'

'Sure, sure . . .'

Seriama thought that she detected a hint of insincerity in his voice, but as she began to acknowledge this doubt, Henry smiled and nudged her side. Relieved, she leaned against his chest and closed her eyes. He pulled away, perhaps a bit too soon, and gazed up at the sky. Seriama could see the ambition in his eyes.

'Soon, those stars will be mine . . .'

'_And_ the most important star, right?'

Henry sighed.

'No, I must hand that one over to Zebil. But second-in-command isn't half bad . . .'

'It's phenomenal! I'm so happy for you . . .'

'Don't celebrate just yet: we have a lot of work to do,' he reminded her, 'We need to take down Sattler, acquire the cure, and-'

'Take over the world?' she suggested.

'Take over ALL of the worlds,' Henry snarled.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan sighed as he lay in bed. At some point in the night, Ellie had spread herself diagonally across his chest, and he didn't particularly care for the way she was positioned. Her chin was digging into his shoulder, and the layout of her body was not unlike someone who had forgotten to open their parachute. Worse still, she would kick her legs every now and then, preventing Alan from falling asleep. He rested his hand on her head and sighed with defeat, lightly stroking her tangled hair.

'RRRrrrRRRrrrRRRrrr . . .'

Alan yanked his hand back in surprise as Ellie started to purr. He stared at her with wide eyes and began to breathe more quickly.

"Ellie? . . ." Alan whispered. She shifted slightly, but continued to rumble.

This was weird. This was REALLY weird. Ellie's raptor-isms up until this point had been relatively unnoticeable. Never before had she vocalized as a dinosaur, and _certainly _not in her sleep. This showed a lack of control over her psyche, and it was disconcerting as hell.

"Ellie . . . Ellie stop!" Alan whispered, a little louder this time. She drummed slightly, then dooked like a ferret. Alan bit his lip in astonishment and tried to move her to the other side of the bed. A deep rumbling came from her chest. Alan paused. After a few seconds, he resumed his action. Ellie growled quite audibly. Ignoring her, Alan lifted her up and slid her away from his torso. Suddenly, Ellie whipped her head around and-

***_TSJPFEW_***

"She BIT me!" Alan stressed as he paced in front of Ian the next day.

"Mhm, and when was this?" Ian asked with feigned interest.

"In bed."

Ian spat out his coffee.

"While she was _sleeping_, Ian . . ." Alan elaborated.

"Right, right. I knew that," he replied quickly, "So, what happened?"

"Well, I yowled and accidentally woke her up-"

"Wuss."

"It _really_ hurt . . ." Alan said defensively, rolling up his sleeve.

Ian examined the crescent of tooth-marks with surprise.

"Shit, Alan! She pierced the skin . . ."

"I _know_."

"So, did she bite you with raptor teeth?"

"Looks like it . . ."

Alan rolled down his sleeve. Ian clucked his tongue and sighed.

"You know, you might wanna get that checked out . . ."

"Why?"

Ian shrugged.

"It could get infected or something. What if you catch rabies?"

Alan frowned.

"From Ellie? I don't think-"

"But there's no way to tell for sure . . ." Ian interjected.

Alan sighed.

"You're right . . . I hate to admit it, but . . . you're right."

"I'm always right. It stinks. Why do _I_ always have to be 'the one guy who saw it coming'?"

"Shush, Ian! We're talking about MY problems!"

Ian scoffed.

"And what about _me_? _I_ have to put up with your mother-in-law's antisemitism!"

"Shhh! Don't mention that. I don't want Ellie to feel responsible-"

"I'm not saying she is! I just don't know if I can afford to go through with this . . . LITERALLY!"

"What do you mean? . . ." Alan asked nervously. Ian gave a sheepish grin.

"Well, I _may_ have tried to challenge Mrs Sattler's perception of certain stereotypes by purchasing no less than fifty plastic dinosaurs from your giftshop . . ."

"Ian . . ."

"On an unrelated note, do you need fifty plastic dinosaurs? Or a rope?"

Alan just sighed and rubbed his forehead.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Again, again!" Charlie bleated as Kelly finished a backflip.

She put her hands on her knees and panted heavily.

"I don't think . . . I can . . . right now . . ." she puffed.

"You're _amazing_! I've never seen a human as agile as you!" Charlie beamed. Kelly smiled and crossed her arms.

"Are raptors any good at gymnastics?"

Charlie shrugged.

"No one's really tried . . ."

"I bet you'd be great! You guys can jump very high . . ."

Charlie smiled.

"We were made to jump."

"You mean raptors?"

"I mean dinosaurs in general."

"What about triceratops?"

"Well . . . no."

"T-Rexes?"

Charlie considered this.

"Maybe. I don't know. I could ask my mom, but she's busy keeping Mrs Sattler busy . . . Hey! Why don't we ask Robin?"

"The yellow T-Rex?"

"Allosaurus."

"Right . . ."

"C'mon! Let's go find her!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie walked briskly down the hall with Tuhuma close behind. Her mother was busy adjusting her makeup in the hotel restroom, which would have been a relief, except for the fact that Ellie was now being pestered by her quasi-adversary. He hopped up and down like a spoiled child, growling angrily when she refused to give in to his request.

'Fight me! Just fight me now!'

'I will not. Especially since my mother is here-'

'Fight me, or I'll tell her everything.'

Ellie wheeled around and snarled.

'If you so much as enter her line of sight, I'll-'

'Fight me?'

'-have Robin tell you about mammary functions!'

He shrunk away.

'You _wouldn't _. . .'

'Oh, she'd be more than happy to describe menstruation in great detail! And she can go on for _hours_ . . .'

If it was possible for raptors to go pale, Tuhuma would be doing just that. Ellie sneered and marched down the hall.

'Don't let me catch you hanging around. Until my mother leaves, the hotel is a raptor-free zone.'

Tuhuma nodded and shuffled away weakly.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"Rooobin?"

"Ro-bin?"

"Rooooooooobin?"

Charlie and Kelly wandered through the Visitors' Center, shouting with their hands (and claws) cupped around their mouths. Charlie flitted up the main stairwell, took a look around, then landed in front of Kelly.

"I don't think she's here . . ."

"Yeah. Maybe we should check out back . . ."

They wandered through the front door and circled the building. As they rounded the corner, they nearly ran into a very disgruntled raptor.

'Ah! Watch it!' he hissed.

Kelly stumbled backwards and whimpered softly. Charlie rushed to defend her, puffing up his chest with an exaggerated bravado.

'Leave her alone, you big bully!'

The adult raptor pulled back his lips and hissed. Charlie's courage faltered slightly, but he forced himself to step forward. The raptor stared at him, then chuckled coyly.

'Hey, I'm just messing with you, kid. Have a sense of humor . . .'

Charlie growled.

"Come on, Charlie, let's go . . ." Kelly whispered, "We need to find Robin . . ."

'If you're looking for Robin, you'll find her in the hotel . . .' the raptor said casually.

'You sure?' Charlie asked.

'Oh, yes. She's with your mother right now,' he replied. Charlie frowned.

"Alright. C'mon, Kelly! We're going to the hotel."

As they trudged up the hill, neither of them noticed the raptor snickering at their naïveté.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie was getting quite sick of her mother's rambling. Not that she had been much of a delight beforehand, but this was _really_ pushing it.

"Honestly, Ellen, I don't know what kind of a life you expect to lead in such a corporate setting! This whole place looks like a second-rate resort!"

Ellie dug her fingernails into her palms to keep from screaming.

"This compound is very advanced, Mother."

"Yes, but it doesn't quite look finished, does it? You are in _desperate_ need of renovations-"

"We like to keep things simple," Ellie replied icily.

"Believe what you will, but when the roof comes tumbling in-"

"This building is completely up-to-code, Mother," Ellie droned.

Her mother pursed her lips and lowered her spectacles with one hand.

"If you are confident with the quality of your infrastructure, perhaps you wouldn't mind showing me the rest of your property . . ."

"I _told _you, Mother: the other buildings are off-limits! We only really use the hotel and the Visitors' Center, anyway . . ."

"Visitors' Center? Pah! Who do you bring to visit, other than your poor old mother, whom you treat with utter disrespect and contempt!"

"Contempt? CONTE- You know what? I'm not putting up with this . . ."

Ellie strutted down the hall, noticing that she had (quite unwillingly) sprouted raptor claws in a preemptive defense. It was subtle enough that her mother didn't notice, but it was still rather alarming . . .

"Ellen, you get back here, _right now_!"

Ellie kept on walking.

"Don't you _dare _ignore me, young lady!"

Ellie froze.

"Young lady? YOUNG LADY? Mom, I am _over thirty_!" Ellie spat.

"That's not true! You are _exactly_ thirty!"

"Wrong! As of-"

Ellie looked at her watch.

"-three hours ago, I am thirty-one."

Mrs Sattler gave a confused look.

"You forgot my birthday, didn't you?" Ellie asked triumphantly.

"I did _NOT_! Why do you think I came early?"

"So, why didn't you mention it?"

"Because I didn't expect all of these people to be here!"

"Right, right . . . Whatever you say," Ellie breathed.

Mrs Sattler turned bright red.

"One does not simply forget the day they had to endure the pain and agony of childbirth!"

"Aren't you being a bit melodramatic?" Ellie teased spitefully.

"Oh, _you_ wouldn't understand, what with your talk of adoption and all . . ."

"Leave Charlie out of this!" Ellie hissed.

"_Charlie_? Is _that_ his name? Darling, I wouldn't waste all of your time on this child, especially since you don't think he's important enough for me to know about him-"

"He is the MOST important aspect of my life, Mother, which is exactly why I'm never going to let you s- CHARLIE!"

While Ellie was talking, Charlie and Kelly had entered through the rotating door. Frightened by his mother's sudden shriek, Charlie hopped into Kelly's arms and trembled like a leaf. Mrs Sattler scanned him from head to tail and turned to Ellie.

"What's THAT supposed to be, some kind of feathered crocodile?"

Ellie rubbed the back of her neck.

"Uh, no . . . He's a dinosaur."

Mrs Sattler scoffed as Charlie jumped out of Kelly's arms and hid behind Ellie's legs.

"What is it doing indoors?"

"Mother, this is Charlie . . . my son."

Mrs Sattler adjusted her spectacles and leaned in to examine him. Charlie shrunk away in fear, burying his face in Ellie's shirt. Finally, Mrs Sattler sniffed disdainfully and crossed her arms.

"Kind of skinny, isn't he?"

***_TSJPFEW_***

"I have to admit, Mrs Sattler, you're taking this remarkably well . . ." Alan marveled as they watched Charlie and Kelly splashing around in the pool. Mrs Sattler snuffed and shone her nails on the frill of her blouse.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, not many people would be so nonchalant about raptor-adoption . . ."

"I always knew Ellen would screw up her life somehow. Even so, I didn't quite expect her to be 'Queen of the Amazons', as it were."

She sniffed pompously and called over Buzz and Rocky, whom she had decided were her personal assistants. After pouring a martini (very sloppily), they waddled over and handed her the thin glass. She gave them two dollar bills, which they used to line their beach towels.

"PEE-PEE-TSOO!"

Robin took a running leap at the pool, sending half of the water slushing over the side. Charlie and Kelly sputtered as they were drenched by her tsunamious tide.

"And this one, she was human?" Mrs Sattler asked breezily.

"Yes. She had the disease, just like Ellie," Alan explained.

"Can't you _fix_ her?"

Alan watched as Robin butterfly-kicked across the cyan waves.

"Robin isn't the kind of person you fix. She's perfectly happy as a dinosaur-"

"Well, you'd better watch out!" Mrs Sattler guffawed. Alan scratched the back of his hand.

"What do you mean?"

"Ellen seems to be very close to these raptors. Because Charles, and to a lesser extent, Buzz and Rockwell are her children, she might have a change of heart."

"Regarding? . . ."

"Her species. After all, her children are raptors, her friends are raptors, her colleagues are raptors . . . Most everyone whom she associates with are raptors! Except you . . ."

Alan didn't know whether she was provoking this undercurrent on purpose or simply being catty. For all he knew, she might have sensed his secret fear, and it would not be out of character for her to make him feel as terrible as was humanly possible. Mothers would be mothers, he supposed, though he could certainly do without the constant nagging. Maybe that was the _point_. Her goal, after all, was to feed into his doubt and uncertainty, alienating Alan from his family and friends in order to get a negative reaction out of him.

And it was kind of working.


	35. Metaphase

Later that day, Ellie was whisked away to Paris once more. She might have been peeved that the Majordomo had decided to interrupt her evening activities, only she had been arguing with her mother, so nothing of value was lost.

Tumbling through the bubbly vortex, Ellie found herself wondering if she was in deep trouble again. She had brought back Wu, yes, but she had also plucked his consort from the alternate dimension, which was not part of the plan. Ellie didn't fear the Majordomo, per se, but she didn't exactly want to tangle with him either. She got the impression that he was a ruthless leader, and she didn't particularly want to butt heads with anyone who was considered important by the fictional realm.

As the smoke cleared, Ellie bit her lip with dread.

"Hello . . ." a smooth voice echoed through the vestibule.

Ellie turned and saw the Majordomo. He was leaning casually against a pillar with his legs crossed at the heels.

"Hi?" Ellie squeaked.

"You're not in trouble," the Majordomo clarified. Ellie waited for him to negate his statement by adding some kind of venomous remark, but none came.

"Why did you bring me here?" Ellie asked.

"Just to check up on you. Make sure everything is okay. All that."

Ellie nodded slowly.

"We, uh- We brought back another dinosaur . . ."

"I know."

"Should I-"

"No, it's fine."

"A-"

"Yes, I'm sure. You have no need to worry."

"Great! I-"

"_However_ . . ."

Oh, boy. Ellie _knew _something bad was coming.

"In order to teach you a lesson, I'm going to give you a Gazooian sidekick."

"Ga-what?" Ellie echoed.

Suddenly, a small cartoon string made of colorful beads squeezed out of her ear. She swatted at him in alarm, but he rematerialized elsewhere.

"Dr. Sattler, I'd like you to meet Mr. DNA!" the Majordomo said in a bright tone of voice. The creature floated in front of Ellie and shook her finger with his hand.

"Howdy! I'll be your not-quite-Disney sidekick!"

"Well? Say '_hello_' . . ." the Majordomo drawled patronizingly.

"Erm, hello . . ." Ellie mumbled.

"If you ever need me to explain any ex-po-sition, just give me a big ol' whistle!"

Ellie flicked him away.

"Question. How did-"

"-I bring him to life?" the Majordomo finished, "Simple. He's a fictional character, and because he's fiction within fiction, it's a breeze to bring him into the existing canon. It's easier to step up with regards to fictionality . . . until you hit the Overworld, of course."

"So, you can bring fictional characters to life?" Ellie marveled.

"Yes. Pay attention."

"I don't understand-"

The sound of a gentle ringtone came from the Majordomo's tux. He pulled a black rectangle out of his pocket and slid his finger across the base.

"Sorry, I gotta take this . . ."

He strutted out of the room, lifting the phone to his ear. Ellie looked from side to side awkwardly, not knowing where to go. She caught sight of an interesting tapestry, and decided to examine it to kill time.

The threaded image depicted a bright yellow figure spreading its dragonian wings across a reddish canyon. Staring out into the distance with fierce blue eyes, it seemed to be soaring over the mystical land. A radiant eight-pointed star hovered between its curved horns, casting bright beams across the sky in a kind of extended aureole.

"That's our leader, Elkay," the Majordomo stated as he reentered the room.

"I was just looking . . . So what _is _that thing?" Ellie asked, pointing to the phone. The Majordomo spun it around in his hand and laughed.

"I keep forgetting that you're from the 90's . . . Not that I can complain, mind you: I'm from the 1890's!"

Ellie gasped.

"So, you're a _hundred_ years old?"

"Uh, no. Several thousand, actually. Time isn't defined in Fiction, and I was the first to be brought to life, hence my idiomatic terminology."

"And you're still alive?"

He picked at his fingernail.

"Mhm. But dead people are easy to bring back to life, anyway. Again, it's only a matter of stepping up . . ."

"I'm not sure I understand . . . If you can do all of these things, then why couldn't you fix the issue with Wu?"

Mr. DNA fluttered out of her front pocket.

"I'll explain _this_ one. You see, millions of years ago, before the time of the DAH-nosaurs, Elkay descended from the land of Asterpara and created the Overworld. As a semi-omnipotent being, she had the ability to transfer her powers to the Majordomo . . . but to a lesser degree. You see, for a certain installment of a franchise to be considered canon, it needs to be popular, continuous, and well-received. For this reason, it's harder to pull certain characters into existence. But as long as mankind is inspired by ingenuity, the bridge between the Overworld and Fiction is maintained."

"But why does that matter? I mean, it's not like we can go up to the Overworld on a whim . . ." Ellie pondered.

"The Overworld is the source of all new characters and franchises," the Majordomo replied, "That's why it's easier to step down from there."

"You said this leader of yours is semi-omnipotent, right? So, why doesn't she just fix these problems herself?"

"There is someone stopping her," Mr. DNA interjected, "You see, the idol she once bore can function on either the lux or the tenebris, the positive and negative power of life. Elkay's evil counterpart, Lord Zebil, is constantly trying to shift The Star's energy to the dark side. They are in a constant state of war, even during her current self-banishment."

"What does any of this have to do with Jurassic Park?" Ellie asked.

Mr. DNA blinked.

"I mean, aren't you supposed to explain Jurassic Park and nothing else? Who _told_ you all of this? The Majordomo? Isn't that a bit indirect?"

The Majordomo sighed.

"Fine, if you want to get picky, I'll finish this off. Elkay wields the esoteric powers: Fire, Lightning, and Ice. Our good friend Zeb' is more of a down-to-earth kind of guy, wielding Wood, Metal, and Rock."

"Aren't those classical elements?" Ellie asked, "What about air? Air is a greek element . . ."

"And it's been mentioned in our greek texts. According to the scriptures, the idea of 'Aero' is not an element in itself, but something to be consumed by the Lords. Though, for the life of me, I'd say the proper word would be 'Aéras'. Honestly, it's an oracular text, and they don't even bother with spell-check!"

Ellie cocked her head.

"Uh . . ."

"It's complicated. Anyway, it is said that our leader feeds on the power of air, but most likely, it means some kind of positive energy that is consumable, just like Zebil feeds on war. Or the god of war: again, stupid translations . . ."

"Is Zebil a dragon too?" Ellie asked. The Majordomo laughed.

"Naw, he's a giant blue tiger."

"_Blue_ tiger?"

"Yeah. Yellow dragon, blue eyes; blue tiger, yellow eyes. It's like the Yin and Yang, you see. I wrote a paper about it once. You should read it someday."

Ellie was glad that the Majordomo seemed to be warming up to her. She certainly didn't want another enemy, what with Wu and her mother running amuck.

"Oh, _by the way_ . . ." the Majordomo said sneakily, "If _I_ were you, I'd head home soon. There's a MASSIVE argument taking place."

"WHAT?!" Ellie shrieked.

"Bad timing, I know . . ." he twittered, "In any case, you'd better hurry! Ta-ta!"

"I can't believe y-"

In the middle of her sentence, Ellie was drawn once more into the void of spiraling color.

***_TSJPFEW_***

The Visitors' Center was an absolute mess. A long trail of yarn had been knotted through the banisters, and huge gobs of silly string dripped down from the ceiling. About fifty plastic dinosaurs had been dumped on the floor, and everyone was yelling at the top of their lungs. Ellie stared at them with wide eyes before whistling with two fingers. The crowd went silent.

"Can someone please tell me _what the hell_ is going on here?" Ellie bellowed.

The bickering parties paused, then erupted into shouting once more.

"One at a time, please!" Ellie growled.

Lance stepped forward. He had a deep gash on the ridge of his nose.

"Jules kicked me in the face!" he whined, pointing to an angry-looking female raptor.

"Did you make advances on her?" Ellie asked grumpily.

"No!"

Ellie frowned.

". . . Maybe . . ."

"Ellie, we just lost our last edmontosaurus!" Kipper interjected, "Tuhuma chased the herd over the canyon wall-"

"Why don't you _fight me_, as punishment?" Tuhuma suggested.

"We got a problem with the mainframe," Ray interrupted, "Someone's been clicking popup ads. Now, we have at least sixty viruses-"

"Hey! It said that I was the millionth visitor!" Robin retorted defensively, "How was_ I_ supposed to know that it was a trap?"

"Ellen! That _demented _cat just stole all of my yarn!" Mrs Sattler huffed indignantly, "How am I supposed to knit a sweater for my grandson if I don't even have the full ball?"

"Mother, he's a _raptor_!" Ellie hissed, "He does NOT wear sweaters . . ."

"He _should_ . . ." Mrs Sattler replied icily.

Without warning, everyone stepped forward at once, mobbing Ellie like a murder of crows.

"Ellie, the edmontosaurus-"

"-need a Band-Aid-"

"-to debug the computers, I-"

"-want to fight! Why won't you-"

"-try to find a pattern in his size! Pah! It's-"

"-tempting to win a free Nintendo 64-"

"-but let's be honest, who could resist my charm! She's a misandrist! And-"

"-meow, meow, meow, meow, meow-"

"-we _need_ your help!"

"SHUT UP!" Ellie screamed, stomping her foot on the ground. Everyone froze and shrunk back. Even Orange, who had been swatting at the yarn, seemed to be stunned by her anger. Ellie clenched her teeth and stared at the frightened faces in front of her. Alan, who had been struggling to dissolve the tension, attempted to make eye contact with her, but was ignored.

"Why can't you leave me alone for _just one second_?" Ellie hissed, "Does it not _occur_ to anyone that maybe- _just maybe_- I'm a little bit busy with matters of INTERDIMENSIONAL RELATIONS?"

The crowd exchanged awkward glances and expressions of humble guilt.

"I can't be everywhere at once! I shouldn't _have_ to be!" Ellie continued, "But since you _refuse_ to work through these issues together, I guess it's up to me to _govern every single stupid detail_ that no one else is _mature _enough to manage!"

Kipper edged forward.

"We're sorry, Ellie, but-"

"But, _what_?" Ellie snarled, "You can't _wait_ a few days for me to do your job?"

"I'm not-"

"Fine. _FINE_! If anyone_ else_ has a ridiculous dilemma that they want me to solve, just ask! Go ahead. It's not like I have any problems _of my own_ to deal with!"

Everyone looked away in discomfort.

"Go ahead! Ask! _ASK_!" Ellie barked.

At that exact moment, Ian, Sarah, and Kelly sauntered across the room with their suitcases and backpacks. By the time they realized that they had walked in on an argument, they had already been spotted by Ellie, who glared at them with a blazing derision. Ian twiddled his fingers awkwardly and stepped forward.

"Uh . . . Ellie? . . . We . . . We've decided to leave early."

Ellie scowled at him resentfully, narrowing her eyes.

"It's nothing personal," Sarah pleaded with remorse, "Only . . . Only it would be best to head off-"

"-before anything else goes wrong?" Ellie finished, "Fine. I understand."

"Ellie . . ." Ian began.

"No, it's perfectly fine!" Ellie snapped, "_You_ can leave whenever you want! _You_ aren't stuck on some stupid island where everyone needs your help twenty-four hours a day!"

Ian frowned.

"Hey! Don't, uh, take out all of your anger on _us_! We're your friends . . ."

"Really? Because, from what I understand, friends don't just _abandon_ you whenever something goes wrong!"

"Hey, that's not fair-"

"NOTHING IS FAIR!" Ellie roared, "It's not fair that everyone relies on me, it's not fair that I have to be everyone's babysitter, and it's _certainly_ not fair that I have to spend the rest of my life cut off from society on this miserable, run-down, barely-functioning island!"

And with that, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan pushed through the bustling crowd as Ellie left the building. The argument was far from over: _that_ much was clear. Everyone seemed to be at each other's throats, especially after Ellie's breakdown. Fortunately, Kipper and Robin were doing their best to remedy the situation, in Ellie's place. Alan would have to join them, but first, he wanted to make sure that Ellie was okay.

As he headed for the back door, Ian jogged up to his side.

"Hey, Al! . . . Al! Can you tell me what just happened?"

Alan didn't break his stride.

"Go home, Ian. We don't need any more trouble."

"What? Alan, we're not going home after _that_! If you need our help-"

"I need you to stay out of the way!"

Ian was stunned by his harsh remark, but Alan didn't care. He ignored his friend and jogged through the rear courtyard, where he saw a lone raptor running through the night. Not wanting to lose Ellie's trail, Alan followed her raptor-tracks through the open field, using the light of the full moon to navigate through the darkness.

He found Ellie at the edge of a vast lake, where she had demorphed and begun to cry. Hugging her arms around the top of her knees, she shook gently with each sob, soaking her sleeves with salty tears. Alan slowed down and sat next to her, taking her head in his arms. She continued to sob as he stroked her hair.

"Do you remember . . . back when it all started? We looked over this hill and . . . and we were amazed by the dinosaurs . . . by everything . . ."

Alan nodded and pulled her closer. She looked up at him with wet, blue eyes.

"It all seemed so easy back then . . ."

He rested his chin on her back as she began to weep against his shoulder. Ignoring the sting of the not-quite-healed Troödon bites, Alan let her wrap her arms around him very tightly. She held onto him as though she was about to lose her grasp on reality. After a few minutes, she calmed down and began to breathe in shaky sighs.

"Ellie, I know you've been very stressed lately . . ." Alan whispered, "But I promise: I'll do _everything_ I can to help you feel better."

Ellie shook her head.

"No, no, it's _my_ fault. I shouldn't have snapped. It's just a little hiccup-"

"Ellie, I know you've been getting sick," Alan admitted.

She looked up at him with surprise.

"How-"

"I heard you throwing up a few nights ago. You haven't done that since we first got here . . ."

Ellie sniffed and wiped away her tears.

"Alan, you don't have to worry-"

"I know," he said, putting his finger on her lips, "But I'm going to help you. You're too humble. I know it's hard to admit that you're overworked, so you don't _have_ to. Just tell me what needs to be done, and I'll do it. Let me help you . . ."

Ellie smiled ever so slightly.

"Okay. You win."

"Really?" Alan asked, surprised that she had accepted his offer.

"Mhm. I surrender. But I won't let you do anything _too_ extreme . . ."

"Like pteranodon-surfing, for example?"

Ellie laughed and snuggled up closer. They watched as a group of brachiosaurs migrated down to the watering hole, sliding into the water like massive swans. Beneath the silver light of the moon, they sang in a melodious trumpet, sending a flock of nightingales into the sky.

"They're moving in herds . . ." Alan mumbled. Ellie beamed up at him and leaned back against his chest. He smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.

"Everything is going to be fine, I promise . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robin yawned as she lumbered into the dining hall. She wasn't usually keen to sneak a midnight snack, but for some reason, it was getting harder and harder to sleep. She suspected that this had something to do with her subconscious guilt (regarding Ellie, of course), but she was no brain-doctor. Mind-doctor. Therapist? Whatever.

Flicking on the lightswitch, Robin was surprised to see Ellie sitting at a table with a dozen tubs of ice cream stacked on the floor in a disorderly fashion. As she shoveled a scoop of vanilla into her mouth, Ellie gave her a little wave.

"What are you doing up? Where's Alan?" Robin asked.

"In bed," Ellie said through a full mouth, "I decided to stay up for a bit. I was hungry . . ."

Jack, who had been sleeping with his head tucked under his wing, whistled lightly and clicked his beak. Robin covered his cage with a tablecloth.

"I'm sorry about the computer thing . . ." she muttered.

"It's fine. We'll fix it," Ellie said breezily.

Robin stepped into the kitchen and grabbed a piece of raw steak. She swallowed the whole lump in one gulp, tilting her head back to send it down her throat.

"So, are you feeling better?" she asked casually.

"Mubb bebbuh!" Ellie said with packed cheeks, "I jubb hab a wibbul-"

She swallowed.

"-stress, that's all . . ."

Robin rolled her eyes.

"A _little_? . . ."

Ellie shrugged.

"Well, I have _a lot_ on my plate. Honestly, I don't think I can _take_ any more bad news . . ."

Robin looked down at Ellie's bowl of ice cream.

"Full plate, indeed! You oughta be careful, or you'll get chubby!"

"Oh, I haven't been gaining THAT much weight . . ." Ellie protested, grabbing another spoonful. Robin snuffed merrily.

"If you keep eating ice cream like that, there's no telling _what _could happen! _Look _at this: vanilla, chocolate, cherry-berry. Ack!"

"We aren't _all _carnivores, Robin . . ." Ellie pointed out, lifting the spoon to her mouth.

"True, but you sure get weird cravings. What, are you pregnant or something?"

The spoon clattered to the floor.


	36. Positive Thinking

"Positive. Wanna try another one?" Robin asked, dropping a white stick on top of a pile of pregnancy tests. Ellie shook her head.

"No . . . No, I think we've tried enough. I'm pregnant."

Ellie placed her hand on each side of the bathroom sink for support. Her reflection looked worn, and not just because she had been up all night. This was a stress that she did not need.

Robin and Ellie slowly made their way back to the dining hall, where they sat down (Ellie on a chair, Robin on the ground) and sighed dolefully.

"What am I gonna tell Alan?" Ellie asked weakly.

"That you're pregnant? . . ." Robin suggested.

"Well, _yeah_!" Ellie grumbled, "But how?"

Robin shrugged.

"You'll have to break it to him gently. Use small words. That kind of thing."

Ellie nodded.

"So, what should I say?"

Robin smiled and adopted an Ellie-mimicking tone of voice.

"Alan, dear! Do you remember that night when we bonked each other's brains out? . . ."

"Not funny," Ellie sighed, rolling her hands down the table. Robin giggled and grabbed a tub of melting ice cream.

"Speaking of which, how far along are you?" she muttered through a mouthful of tiger-tiger.

"I don't know. I've been so _busy_ lately . . ."

"Did you not mark the calendar?"

"No," Ellie sighed, "This is a _disaster_ . . ."

"What do you mean? You LOVE kids!" Robin reminded her.

"Yeah, but this is a bad time! Especially since I don't know how to raise a child on Nublar-"

"What about Charlie?"

"He's a _raptor_," Ellie huffed, "He doesn't need to go to school or apply for licenses. Raising a human child will be _completely_ different."

"It doesn't _have_ to be," Robin drawled merrily, "Just do what you always do. Charlie turned out fine."

"You're missing the point. I can't just teach this child to be a raptor. That would be irresponsible."

"What if it IS a raptor?" Robin gasped, "I mean, we don't know how the virus affects pregnant women . . . How many times have you morphed in the past few days?"

Ellie turned white.

"Oh, god! What if I've hurt it? What if it's _deformed_?"

"What if it's a human-raptor hybrid that eats its way through your uterus during labor?"

Ellie stood up quickly and ran over to a garbage can, where she bent over and puked.

"Geez, you have a weak stomach . . ." Robin drawled.

"Morning sickness . . ." Ellie coughed through vomit residue. Robin handed her a napkin. Ellie wiped her mouth and sat down again with tears in her eyes.

"Robin, I can't do this . . ."

"Sure, you can. You're _the best_ at figuring things out. You just need to be brave."

"I wish I could, but I always lose faith in myself. And now I've made a _stupid _mistake-"

"Oh, Ellie! Don't say that! Sure, it was an accident, but that doesn't mean it's a _mistake_. You're too hard on yourself."

"Everyone keeps saying that . . ." Ellie sighed. Robin bit her lip and went back to eating ice cream.

A few seconds later, Ellie's eyes went wide as a familiar voice resonated through the Visitors' Center. From down the hall, she could hear Alan calling out to her. Ellie began to hyperventilate as he drew near.

"Shit, shit, _shit_! Robin, don't say anything! I need to break this to him gently . . ."

"Understood. I won't breathe a word."

Alan pushed through the door.

"Ellie? Ell- _There_ you are! What on earth are you _doing_ here? Have you been up _all night_?"

Ellie stepped forward and took his hand.

"Alan, I-"

"ELLIE'S PREGNANT!" Robin blurted. She clapped her claws over her mouth as Ellie gave her a murderous glare.

Alan's jaw dropped.

"Is it true?" he asked Ellie. She nodded guiltily and let go of his hand.

"I'm sorry, Alan. I didn't mean to- WHOO!"

Ellie gasped as he spun her around in his arms and laughed. They did a sort of tango-loop and then hugged.

"Ellie, this is _fantastic_!"

"What? Really?" Ellie blathered.

"Yes, of course! Is it a girl or a boy?"

"Uh . . . I don't know yet . . ."

"How big is it? Can it kick?"

"You're taking this very well . . ."

Alan frowned in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I? Is something wrong? . . ."

Ellie shook her head.

"No, no . . . It's just . . . _unexpected_, that's all . . ."

Robin beamed proudly.

"Ha! It sucks to be you! I don't have to worry about all of _that _. . ."

"Oh, don't be so cocky!" Ellie laughed, "You'll have to babysit every now and then . . ."

"Ack! I think I might be the only babysitter who actually _sits_ on the _baby_!"

"AWK! BABY! AWK!" Jack squawked in the corner. Ellie looked over her shoulder.

"Robin, can you feed Jack? There's some seed beside his cage . . ."

"I'm on it!"

As Robin waddled away, Ellie turned to Alan.

"How are we going to go about raising this child? We haven't had to deal with this kind of thing before. I don't know if I'm ready . . ."

Alan smiled and rested his arm on her shoulder.

"We've been parenting a raptor for three years. I think we'll manage."

They shared a long kiss while Robin struggled to remove the lid from the plastic container. It popped off quite suddenly, sending tiny grains across the floor. Ellie sighed and headed for the mop. Before she could clean up, however, Robin lapped up the seeds with her tongue. Ellie crinkled her nose in disgust.

"Hey. I'm, like, _half _bird, right? . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Charlie was thrilled to hear that he would soon have a brother or sister to play with. He had been worried that he was in trouble when his parents called him down to the dining hall, but this was the best news he had heard all week. He jumped up and down with glee, bouncing across the hall like a feathered kangaroo. His parents had warned him to keep it a secret from everyone but the Malcolms, as they didn't want to have everyone fussing over them. For this reason, he found that it was easiest to discuss the matter with Kelly, who answered his questions without much trouble.

"So, what is it like to have siblings?" he asked as they folded the tablecloths in the dining hall. Kelly shrugged and twisted her mouth in a passive expression.

"I don't see my brother and sister much, so I wouldn't know."

"That's so sad . . ." Charlie whispered.

"Not really. They have each other, and they wouldn't want me to get in the way-"

"Why? Do they not _like _you?"

Kelly sighed.

"I don't know. It's not exactly something you ask . . ."

"Oh."

They continued to fold the tablecloths in silence. When they had finished their chores, Charlie morphed into a parrot and flew up to Kelly's shoulder.

"Wanna go play?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied.

As they turned to leave, however, Mrs Sattler burst through the door with a sickly-green sweater.

"Charles, dear, try this on."

Charlie flapped over with reluctance and demorphed. He didn't like being called "Charles", especially since it wasn't his real name. Mrs Sattler had a bad habit, he noticed, of extending people's names without their permission. If only he was lucky enough to have an unalterable name, like Buzz . . .

"Lift up your arms!" she commanded. Charlie did exactly that, but as she slid the sweater over his head, it became very clear that it wouldn't fit him properly. It sagged near the neck, and the sleeves nearly touched the floor. Sighing with exasperation, Mrs Sattler removed the sweater, ruffling Charlie's feathers in the process.

"There goes three hours of work . . ."

"_Three hours_?!" Kelly gasped, "You knit _fast_!"

Mrs Sattler glanced at her briefly, then lifted Charlie into her arms.

"Come with me, Charles. We need to get you fitted."

"But I was gonna go play with Kelly!" Charlie protested, squirming out of her grasp.

"You can play with your own kind. Don't you have any _raptor_ friends?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"No buts. Come."

Charlie backed away as she attempted to grab him once more. Mrs Sattler scrunched up her face and frowned.

"Charles, has your mother been filling your head with nonsense again? You _know _I only have your best interest in mind . . ."

"I don't think it's _your_ job to raise me," Charlie stated bluntly.

The expression on Mrs Sattler's face was one of shock, indignance, and unfiltered rage.

"Why, you _ungrateful_-"

"Leave him alone!" Kelly growled.

"The _nerve_! I ought to tell your father-"

"Stop it! Just _stop_ it!" Charlie shrieked, "Please, don't fight . . . I _hate_ all of this fighting . . ."

Mrs Sattler gnashed her teeth together.

"Did your mother tell you to say that? Don't think you'll get any pity from _me_!"

"I don't _want_ your pity! I don't want to have anything to _DO_ with you!" Charlie shouted.

Mrs Sattler stared at him for a moment, then burst into a frighteningly hysterical cackle.

"I don't believe it. I don't _believe_ it! I'm being insulted by a_ REPTILE_!"

"I'm not-"

"Shoo! Go on: step outside! You don't _belong _here."

Charlie sniffled.

"Yes, I do . . ." he whimpered.

Kelly knelt down and put her hand on his shoulder. Mrs Sattler was unfazed.

"As soon as I find your mother, I'm going to tell her _exactly_ what I think of this _raptor nonsense_!"

"What?" Kelly gasped, "_First_, you knit him sweaters. _Now_, you call him names? Just _pick a side_, already!"

Mrs Sattler rolled her eyes.

"Oh, for the love of god! Now there are TWO petulant children on my case! I'm going to tell your parents-"

"NO!" they both shouted at once. Mrs Sattler leapt back in surprise.

"Why not?"

Charlie and Kelly shared a look.

"They're . . . They're busy . . ." Charlie stammered.

"BUSY?" Mrs Sattler spat, "With _what_? Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No . . ."

"AWK! ELLIE'S PREGNANT! AWK!" Jack squawked from the corner. Charlie and Kelly stared at him with horror in their eyes. Mrs Sattler gave an unsettling smile.

"Uh . . . I think I read somewhere that birds are compulsive liars . . ." Charlie squeaked.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie and Robin were walking through the garden when Mrs Sattler came whiffling down the path with Charlie and Kelly close behind, begging her to slow down. She was an unstoppable juggernaut, however, and Ellie was in her path. Robin shot her a sympathetic glance and hid behind a cotoneaster bush.

"Ellen, what is the meaning of this?" Mrs Sattler spat. Ellie crossed her arms and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"_What_ is the meaning of _what_?"

"You're pregnant!"

Ellie's jaw dropped.

"Oh, yes. I _know_!" Mrs Sattler huffed, "And I had to hear it from the _bloody _bird!"

Ellie glared at her.

"Charlie is NOT a bird!" she hissed. Charlie waddled up to her side and tugged on her pantleg.

"She means Jack, Mom . . ."

"Oh."

"She DID call me a reptile, though . . ."

"WHAT?!" Ellie roared.

"It's true. I was there," Kelly confirmed.

Ellie stalked towards her mother with loathing.

"You have_ no_ right to talk to my son that way . . ." she growled.

"Yeah! Go, Mom!" Charlie whooped.

"Kelly, take Charlie to his room," Ellie said calmly. Scooping up Charlie in her arms, Kelly backed away with wide eyes. Robin stepped out into the open, but whether it was for moral support or to ogle at the spectacle remained unclear.

When Kelly had shut the door firmly, Ellie and Mrs Sattler faced each other like two dueling cowboys. Robin joined the glare-fest, though she didn't fully comprehend the severity of the situation.

"Ellen, I'm trying to _help_ you," Mrs Sattler hissed.

"No, you're trying to help _yourself_," Ellie retorted, "The only thing you care about is preserving the illusion that you are a serviceable mother."

"It's not MY fault I got stuck with a rebellious daughter!"

"What? I'm not _rebellious_!" Ellie spat.

"Darling, _look _at yourself. You live on an island populated by dinosaurs."

"So?"

"Really, now! You're like Dian bloody Fossey! And you _know_ what happened to _her_ . . ."

"This is different, Mother."

"How?"

"These raptors are not animals. They are sentient, intelligent, and-"

"Ellen, you are _very_ naïve! These are dangerous animals who could turn on you at any minute-"

"She talking about us?" Kipper asked as he strutted through the door with Val and Otto.

Ellie winced. The last thing she wanted was to upset her friends . . .

"I'm sorry, Kipper, but my mother won't listen to reason-"

"_Won't listen to reason_?" Mrs Sattler spat, "This, coming from a woman who aspires to be a _velociraptor_!"

Kipper cocked his head.

"Is this true, Ellie?"

"What? No!" she replied defensively, "I'm not _trying_ to be a raptor . . ."

"Is there something _wrong _with being a raptor?" Val asked uncertainly.

"No, of course not," Ellie cooed gently, "But I'm happy as a human. I see no reason to change, especially since morphing isn't permanent, anyway . . ."

"What if it _was_? Would a human willingly activate the PMR, for example?" Val asked.

"Generally, no," Ellie replied, "I can't imagine changing species would be desirable for most people, unless they had some sort of ulterior motive . . . Why?"

"No reason."

Robin blinked.

"Irregardlessly-"

"Not a real word, Robin," Ellie sighed.

"Are you questioning the fluidity of my language?"

"Fluency."

"Ack!"

Mrs Sattler (most likely miffed by the shifted focus of the conversation) stepped forward with an air of self-assigned authority.

"Ellen, I _demand_ that you return to civilization, at once! This isn't _normal_!"

"Maybe not," Ellie mumbled, "but it's what I want."

"You want to waste your time associating with these . . . _filthy reptiles_?" Mrs Sattler snapped. Kipper seemed hurt by the comment. Val seemed furious. Otto just stared.

Mrs Sattler sat still, waiting for a response. Finally, Ellie shrugged and nodded her head.

"Yes. That is_ exactly_ what I want to do."

And with that, she whirled around and marched out of the room with Kipper, Val, and Otto close behind. Mrs Sattler sputtered like a fireplace, turning as red as a pear. Robin lifted her second finger as she strode away smugly.

***_TSJPFEW_***

The day had not been going well at the Paris Opera, as the Majordomo found himself inundated with problem after problem after problem. The Spider-Man comics had broken into a what-if canon yet again, and he was having trouble archiving this development. For whatever reason, Marvel seemed to be notorious for these semi-canonical hiccups, and the paperwork for such blemishes was nothing less than _arduous_. What's more, Kyubey was recruiting magical girls outside of its franchise again, which muddled up the magical consistency a great deal.

The Majordomo sighed.

Some characters just couldn't stop themselves from overstepping their limitations, specifically the ones_ he_ put into place. Rebecca Buck and Ms. Frizzle were notable examples, as they had decided to take a field trip to Middle-Earth while the Majordomo was busy with Deadpool. Needless to say, it did not end well.

At the very least, Jurassic Park seemed to have calmed down. Well . . . as calm as was possible, nowadays.

It was strange: the franchise seemed to be all but derailed, with ridiculous plot points, supernatural phenomena, and yes, even canon-bending. It was puzzling, too, that Ellie Sattler seemed to be the protagonist of the series. It had been a while since the Majordomo had seen their movie, but he was sure that _something_ wasn't right. More troubling still, their canon didn't seem to be terminated as far as the Overworld was concerned. But that was_ impossible_, wasn't it? No one could narrate the sequence of events regarding cross-canon merging. Well, no one except-

Pushing the thought aside, the Majordomo spread his papers across the desk. It was ridiculous to think of such things, especially when it was one-hundred percent impossible. He was being paranoid, surely. No one could narrate for him.

Not anymore . . .

"Majordomo!" a dark blue cat shrieked as he tore down the hall. The Majordomo stood to greet his guest.

"Good evening, Francis. I trust all is well?" he asked, knowing for a fact that it was not.

"Avatar got a movie," Francis panted, "We need to stop it before it becomes canon."

The Majordomo raised his eyebrow.

"Is it urgent?"

"The director is M. Night Shyamalan . . ."

"Let's ride!"

The Majordomo followed the cat as he padded down the hall, abandoning the pile of documents on his desk. There would be time to deal with the red tape later on. He had been through worse, _much worse_, so this was hardly an issue. He had all the time in the world to deal with these menial affairs, after all. That wasn't about to change.

And it was best to ignore the eerie feeling that he was being watched.


	37. Redacted

For a few days, business continued as usual. Ellie's mother had not yet departed (indeed, they couldn't have her blabbering about all of their secrets), and Wu was still as sassy as ever. Seriama, too, had adopted this attitude to some extent, which made for two very grumpy prisoners. Crusher still wasn't allowed to guard them, though he was not enraged, but rather, disappointed by Ellie's lack of faith.

Speaking of which, Ellie was having a lot of trouble coping with her pregnancy. True, Alan was helping out more, and Ian too, but she had no one to consult about her problems. She tried asking Val, but it soon became clear that the raptor method of parenting was less than desirable in this situation. Not that it wasn't fine for a velociraptor . . . sort of. On a similar note, Lance had taken to boasting about the scar on his snout, though he switched up the story every time. He certainly wasn't fooling anyone with his tales of monsters and great battles, but whatever kept him busy was a distraction that Ellie wasn't about to argue with. All this aside, it was still very hard to find a mother with experience, much less wisdom. The simple fact was that Nublar was short on human parents, and there weren't any recent dinosaur births for Ellie to learn from.

That is, until a cold and misty morning, when Ellie and Robin stood over a giant nest, which cradled fifteen Allosaurus eggs . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

"I don't understand, Robin. You said-"

"That I was barren? Yeah, I thought I was, but I guess I was just super, _super_ un-fertile."

"Infertile?"

"Semi-fertile."

Ellie sighed.

"This is interesting. What are you gonna do with them?"

"I'm thinking scrambled or hard-boiled . . ."

"Ro-_bin_!"

"Just kidding. But seriously, I have _no_ idea how to be a parent, much less a parent to fifteen dinosaurs."

"Don't count them before they've hatched," Ellie said wisely.

"Why not? You've told everyone to stay away from ovo-predation. _You'll_ protect them . . ."

"I'll _try_, but I'm only _one_ woman."

"Unless you undergo multicellular mitosis."

Although Ellie was used to Robin's quirkiness, there were times when even _she_ didn't know how to respond to her serendipity. Usually, nodding was a safe bet.

"It's strange, Ellie: we seem to be having a lot of surprises lately . . ."

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you ever get the feeling that there's someone up there who has it in for you?"

Ellie snorted.

"More like someone who needs a good laugh. Did you ever expect that you'd end up where you are today?"

"As a giant yellow dinosaur, you mean? It crossed my mind, once or twice . . ."

Ellie didn't know whether she was joking or not.

Robin gave a doleful sigh and collapsed to the ground, her tail drooping dismally at her rear. She prodded the eggs gently with her snout as the morning sun began to silhouette the embryos inside. Ellie sat down beside her and placed her hand on Robin's neck in solace.

"I guess I'll have to tell Yannick, huh?"

Ellie nodded.

"What should I say?"

Ellie grinned.

"Yannick, dear! Remember that night-"

"Oh, quit rubbing it in!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Eventually, Robin _did _tell Yannick about the eggs. Unlike Ellie, who had been trying to keep her pregnancy a private matter, Yannick seemed dead set on announcing his accomplishment to the entire world. His conversations often began with "Have you heard that I'm going to be a father?" or "Did you know that I'm going to have fifteen children?". Not since the nativity had a birth been so widely discussed, and it was getting rather irksome for certain parties. Ellie was just glad that the collective interest of the dinosaurs had shifted away from her own issues. It was hard enough to run the island _without _everyone pestering her about her delicate condition. For this reason, she didn't object when Yannick started floating around Raptor Valley in order to reach a wider audience.

"You know, Robin and I didn't always get along . . ." Yannick recounted to no one in particular, "In fact, one might say that we _hated _each other. Isn't that right, Robbie?"

Robin nodded.

"We were like cats and dogs, Holmes and Moriarty, Coke and Pepsi . . ."

"So basically, _not_ friends?" Lance snapped, having clued in on the meaning long ago.

"Yeah . . ." Yannick sighed whimsically, "Though, I have to admit, there _were_ times when I almost fell for her . . ."

"Really?" Robin asked with surprise.

"Oh, sure! Remember the Christmas party back in '92? You came walking down the stairs in that _gorgeous_ red dress . . ."

"I bought it on sale."

"It was _amazing_!" Yannick insisted, "Anyway, the mechanics had put Christmas lights on the fossil display, I remember, which lit you up like a-"

"Crappy simile?" Bucky suggested. Yannick frowned. With a sheepish grin, Bucky waddled away to tend to his family.

"_Aaa_-nyway, I had told them that it was okay to put a little extra weight on the fossils; I set them up so that they could withstand an enormous amount of pressure-"

"Specifically, the weight of four people and a raptor?" Alan asked as he walked by.

"Stop interrupting!" Yannick barked, "So, there I was, smitten at the base of the staircase, watching you stroll down like a queen, and Jay- He was standing next to me- Jay says, 'She's my half-sister, you know. Not much to look at, but it's about time you found yourself a woman.' and I remember thinking that maybe he was right . . ."

"Jay _said_ that? What an asshole! . . ." Robin spat.

Suddenly, Charlie came waltzing by with Kelly at his side and Kipper's daughter struggling to catch up. The tiny raptor yapped angrily and nipped at Charlie's tail to slow him down.

'Cha-wee! You pwomised dat you would pway wiff me today!' she whined. Charlie rolled his eyes and bent down to her eye level.

'Sorry, Annabelle. Kelly's leaving in a few days. This is kind of important . . .'

"Charlie? You coming?" Kelly shouted from the Big Tree. She swung on the branches like a monkey, practicing her gymnastics in a semi-boastful manner. Charlie grinned and wagged his tail.

"Be right there!" he shouted. Annabelle yanked on his tail again. She held on with her teeth as he continued to wag.

'Cha-wee!' she shrieked.

'Listen, I'll play with you _later_, but right now, I want to spend some time with Kelly.'

"Charlie?"

"Coming!"

He skipped away gleefully. Annabelle growled and resumed her hot pursuit.

"Kids are so cute . . ." Robin trilled.

"I thought you said you _hated_ kids . . ." Ian remarked. Robin rolled her eyes.

"That was when I was barren. Now that I CAN have children, it's different," she declared.

"Is anyone gonna listen to the rest of my story?" Yannick snuffed.

"What more is there to _tell_?" Robin wondered, "I danced with Mike Johnson, he ran off with Trixie, and I cried in the girl's washroom for the rest of the evening . . ."

Yannick pouted.

"But we _spoke_ that evening-"

"Did we? I don't remember . . ."

"Sure, we did!" Yannick insisted, "I said 'Hi, Khmelnitsky!' . . . Yeah, I didn't know your name back then. It took me forever to figure out your REAL surname-"

"So, what is it, smart guy?" Robin chuckled.

"Kleymissky!" Yannick declared proudly.

"Nu-uh! I can't believe that after all of this time, you_ still_ haven't learned my last name. It's _shameful_, really! How hard is it to remember 'Smith'?"

Yannick blushed.

"Hehe . . . I guess it's easier than _my_ last name. Speaking of which, since we're dinosaur-married, shouldn't we stop using your maiden name?"

Robin's eye twitched. Yannick nudged her nervously.

"Is something wrong? . . ."

"NO!" she replied, a little too quickly, "But don't you think that in this day and age, a woman should be allowed to keep her name?"

"You can, if you want to. I'm just asking . . ."

"Well, STOP!" Robin shrieked nervously, "Because feminism and- and equal rights- . . . I have to go!"

She dashed away, leaving a very confused Yannick in her dust. He cocked his head and frowned.

"What was THAT all about?" Bucky wondered.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Deep in the underground lab, Ellie typed on a computer keyboard with exasperation. Behind her, Robin twiddled her fingers anxiously, hopping from foot to foot like a gimpy pigeon with a full bladder. After clicking through a few files, Ellie sighed.

"Are you sure this is _necessary_? Can't you just _ask_ him? . . ."

"_No_!" Robin shrieked, "If Yannick found out that I don't know his last name, I'd never hear the end of it! We need to search the computer's database for his portfolio. There's no other way . . ."

"Haven't you been married for, like, _two years_?" Ellie estimated.

"Oh, shut up! I'll bet _you_ don't know everything about _Alan_," Robin huffed.

"Try me."

"Last name?"

"Grant."

"Middle name?"

"Nigel."

"Favorite dinosaur?"

"Triceratops."

"Favorite color?"

"Blue. Or purple. He's colorblind."

"Age?"

"Thirty-six."

"Date of birth?"

"September fourteenth."

"Phobias?"

"Spiders, needles, and dogs. And he dry-heaves whenever he hears the word 'sponge'."

"Political views?"

"Center-right."

"Turn-ons?"

Ellie frowned and went back to typing. Robin giggled like a ninny.

"Found him," Ellie announced casually. She clicked on Yannick's name and brought up his profile. Robin leaned in and squinted her eyes in confusion.

"The file must be corrupted. That doesn't look right . . ."

"Nope, that's his last name. It says so right here . . ."

Robin scrunched up her nose.

"Ilnyckyj? That's not a _real _name!"

"It must be . . ."

"Maybe the nurse who wrote his birth certificate passed out on the keyboard . . ."

"Unlikely."

"But possible. How would you even _say_ that?"

"With your vocal cords?" Ellie sassed.

Robin chuffed and rolled her eyes. With a smug grin, Ellie closed Yannick's profile. She was about to shut down the computer, but something caught her eye. She scrolled down the staff list with a puzzled expression. The monitor's light reflected off of her glasses in shrunken fractals.

"That's odd . . ."

"What?" Robin asked.

"It says here that this person's name was redacted . . ."

Ellie clicked on a line of yellow text to further explore the issue. When she attempted to retrieve the file, however, it asked for a password.

"Strange. I thought Ray removed all of the extraneous security. The files should be up-to-date . . ."

"Not _this_ one," Robin stated, pointing to the most recent date of modification, "This was made six years ago."

Ellie watched as the password cursor blinked tantalizingly. Who _was_ this missing employee, and why had they been removed from the staff list?

Ellie's hands hovered over the keyboard. She took a deep breath and began to type. Her fingers clicked against each key with an otherworldly feel, as though she was being guided by her subconscious.

"What are you doing?" Robin asked.

"Trying a password."

"Ha! Good luck! What are the odds that you could guess it on the first-"

The file opened.

". . . Try . . ."

Ellie frowned with confusion. Instead of a profile, there were dozens of documents, all neatly organized into separate folders. Robin read the first title out loud with confusion.

"Diaeresis? What's that, some kind of bowel irritation?"

"No, it's a letter ornamentation. You know: the two dots that you use for words like maïs, naïve, or Troö-"

After a beat, Ellie clicked on the folder to examine its contents. The dialogue box had several entries, all written in numerical code and computer commands. Ellie went back to the main bin and scrolled down. She clicked on a folder that bore the name "canon_edits". A stream of commands poured down the monitor.

delete_1023

Delete Novel? Y/N

Y

Move to storage bin? Y/N

Y

Complete.

insert_3120

Insert Film? Y/N

Y

Complete.

"What does it mean?" Robin asked.

"I don't know . . ." Ellie replied with confusion. She clicked on another folder, entitled "SP_dialogue", and scanned its contents.

**Are you sick, Ellie Sattler? The real question is: what do YOU want? I am a manifestation of your subconscious. I will help you face what you choose to ignore. Do you know why I am here, Ellie Sattler? That is true, but I refer to a deeper meaning. Something more . . . spiritual, if you will. Why do you think you chose a pteranodon as your spirit guide? You forget that I am a reflection of your innermost desires. I cannot give you any advice outside of your own intuition. Many people choose to ignore their instincts. You only let yourself see so much . . . And yet you lie to yourself. You cannot fool me, Ellie Sattler. I am not Alan, I am not Ian . . . I am YOU. Why do you choose to dismiss me? Do I frighten you? Why are you afraid to become a raptor? That is part of the reason. You already know. My time here is coming to an end . . . The effects of the seawater are wearing off. You may not be able to face the truth right now, but there will come a time when you must decide who you really are . . . No. But there's something you should know . . . There's a starfish on your face. I have returned to tell you this: there is a truth you must face. No. You have only just begun. These raptors are your friends, yet you shun their kind . . . Yes, and why do you choose to do so? No. You do this for yourself. Self-discovery. I warned you about denial . . . Because I AM you. You must understand this. You are correct. However, this is not to be taken lightly. Who are you, Ellie Sattler? WHAT are you? There is a reason you choose to help these raptors . . . And yet you were willing to give your life for them. You could have run. There are plenty of good people on this island. Only YOU chose to sacrifice yourself to the dilophosaurs. You didn't have to do that . . . But WHY are you so kind to these raptors? Love? Why are you afraid to become a raptor? Why are you afraid to become a raptor? Why are you afraid to become a raptor? Why are you afraid to become a raptor? Why are you afraid to become a raptor? Why are you afraid to become a raptor? I am satisfied with that answer.**

As soon as Ellie realized what she was reading, she closed the window and began to hyperventilate.

"What's wrong?" Robin asked.

"It's impossible. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

"What's impossible? WHAT'S IMPOSSIBLE?" Robin echoed.

Ellie leafed through the rest of the folders. Some of them had unrecognizable titles, others hit close to home. The most troubling was a folder entitled "Virus". It appeared to be the earliest entry.

"What _is_ all of this stuff?" Robin asked.

Ellie shivered and closed a folder entitled "morula_engage".

"I don't know. But I don't like it."

"Me neither. I wonder who wrote all of this . . ."

"Well, _you'd_ have a better idea than _me_ . . . Do you remember anyone who left InGen, perchance?"

"Plenty. But not for any _secretive_ reasons . . ."

Ellie sighed.

"_Although_ . . . There _was _this one girl . . ." Robin recalled.

"Go on," Ellie prompted.

"Well, she was very quiet. Kept to herself, mostly. She'd sometimes shield her screen when I walked by . . ."

"Did she quit? Was she fired?"

"I don't know. She sort of . . . disappeared after a while. Last I ever heard from her was just before the incident of '93. I was working in the fertilization lab- God, I hated that place! They made us tie our hair in buns and wear those stupid white suits that made everyone look like they had a dump in their pants-"

"Focus, Robin!"

"Right. So, she was just finishing up some sort of computer thing, and she turns to me- all serious, _right_- and says: 'Wu isn't taking the boat back to the mainland.'. Naturally, I ask her how she knows this, and she makes up some cock-and-bull story about hearing that Jay and him were planning to play hooky. Ack!"

"So, what happened?"

"I asked Wu if I could stay behind, and he reluctantly agreed. It's a good thing, too! 'Else I wouldn't have caught-"

"No, I mean: what happened to the lady?"

Robin shrugged.

"She seemed eager to leave after our conversation. My best bet is that she didn't want to be seen by the guests- HEY! That was _you_, wasn't it? How _on earth _did she know that you were going to walk out during the tour? . . ."

"Wait. This was _right _before we got there?" Ellie gasped.

"Yeah. She left before you entered the lab. But_ I_ was there!" Robin said in a singsong voice.

Ellie took a deep breath.

"Robin, I think we've stumbled upon something _huge_ . . ."

"Yeah! Our paths crossed before we were even friends!" she trilled.

"No, I mean something _bigger_," Ellie clarified.

"Ack! Well, this sounds like shady dealings. Good luck with that . . ."

Robin turned around and opened the lab door.

"Are you leaving?" Ellie asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah. I gotta tell Yannick that I know his last name. And possibly make fun of Alan for being colorblind. I'll see if I have time. Toodles!"

Ellie rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen. She was surprised to see a new folder. It was entitled "Well, now that Robin's gone . . ." and seemed to have been uploaded a few seconds ago. Ellie clicked it hastily. Inside was a text document, which Ellie opened after taking a deep breath.

'Good evening, Ellie . . .'

Ellie's pulse quickened. Was this machine _talking_ to her? She scrolled down.

'Yes, I _am _talking to you. And I know what you're thinking.'

This was impossible!

'This is _very much_ possible. Don't bother with all of this "figuring things out" nonsense. Just listen.'

Ellie scrolled down again.

'You've been stressed lately. So have I, though by the time you read this, I think my problems will be long gone. Or much worse. Who knows? Not me. Though I _do_ know quite a bit . . .'

Geez, this computer had an _attitude_ . . .

'So I've been told. Though, I'd have preferred the term "quirky". Anyway, this isn't about _me_. How are _you _feeling? Pretty exhausted, I'll bet.'

Ellie blinked and scrolled down again.

'I'd love to sit and chat about your problems, but I have to leave soon. The "you" from five years ago is coming.'

Ah, so _this_ was the "mystery lady".

'Quite right. Now, pay attention. You need someone to confide in, correct?'

Right . . .

'Robin's too brusque, Alan's a tad clueless, and Ian . . . Well, he's not the "_bosom buddy_" type, is he?'

Certainly not.

'So, who's the _one person_ you can trust?'

Who? . . .

Here, the text created a chicken-scratch arrow on the screen.

Ellie turned to where it was pointing.

The interdimensional machine began to come to life.

'Yourself.'


	38. Monster

"Hey, Ian! You haven't seen Ellie around, have you?" Alan asked as he jogged down the path to the Visitors' Center.

Ian shook his head.

"Sorry, Al. I have no clue where she is."

"Damn. I've been looking for her all afternoon . . ." Alan muttered.

"Have you checked Raptor Valley?"

"Mhm. Sarah and Kelly are down there."

Ian rolled his eyes.

"I know. Good god, Sarah can't be torn away from those raptors. She's like Jane Goodall! And Kelly seems to really like Charlie now. It's a good thing, don't get me wrong, but I don't want any tears when we leave for the mainland."

"Did they really make friendship bracelets?" Alan asked.

"You'd better believe it! Is Charlie still wearing his?"

"I don't know. I didn't actually _see_ him, but where there's Kelly, there's Charlie."

Ian frowned.

"But if you saw Kelly, why didn't you see Charlie?"

"I didn't see Kelly. But Sarah was watching her, right?"

Ian rubbed his chin.

"So you went looking for Ellie, but didn't see Kelly, and Kelly's with Charlie, but not with Sarah?"

Alan blinked.

"I _think _so? . . ."

"Odd."

Alan nodded. The two men started walking towards the Visitors' Center, shuffling down the gravel road in short strides. After a moment, Ian sighed awkwardly and turned to Alan.

"Is Ellie still, uh . . ."

"Doing raptor things? Yes."

Ian nodded pensively.

"Has it gotten worse?"

Alan bit the inside of his lip and shrugged.

"About the same. She hasn't attacked me since that one time, but- . . ."

Alan shook his head.

"What?" Ian pressed.

"I should talk to her about this."

"You'll upset her. You remember how she snapped, last time . . ."

"No, I have to be honest. We promised."

"You and Ellie?" Ian asked.

"All three of us. Don't you remember our pact?"

Ian shook his head.

"We promised to tell each other _anything _and _everything_. That's what friends do. We're a team. There's no reason to lie to each other. I have to be completely and brutally honest."

"What if she asks if a dress makes her look fat?"

Alan raised his eyebrow.

"Well, she IS pregnant . . ."

The men turned as they heard a light crunching of gravel from behind. Sarah was jogging down the trail, and she seemed out of breath. Ian walked over and tried to put his arms around her, but she swatted him away casually.

"Have you seen the kids?" she puffed.

Ian's eyes went wide.

"You _LOST_ them?" he shrilled.

"No! Of _course_ not!" Sarah growled, "I'm just wondering where they are . . ."

"In other words: you _lost _them," Ian hummed.

"I said they could play around the Visitors' Center area. There's only so many places they could be."

"I guess," Ian sighed, "And there's nothing dangerous nearby, anyway . . ."

"There are TWO dangerous things, Ian. But they're locked up and heavily guarded," Alan reminded him.

"True, true. Still, we'd better find- Oh, _there_ they are! Kids! _Kids_!" Ian called to the two speckles that were frolicking in the field. Alan waved to Charlie. He waved back and started running towards them. Kelly followed.

"That's a relief . . ." Alan breathed, "Now I just have to find Ellie, tell her the truth, say I love her, and fix everything."

"Awww . . ." Sarah gushed, "Ian, why don't you ever say you love me anymore?"

Ian snorted.

"I told you on our wedding day. If anything changes, I'll let you know . . ."

Charlie skipped over and tackled Alan to the ground. He landed with a light "oof" and smiled.

"Kelly and I caught a frog today!" Charlie beamed. Kelly held up their trophy and grinned. The amphibian croaked and wiggled its feet irritably.

"Cute," Ian said unenthusiastically, "What are you gonna do with it?"

Charlie looked up at Alan with big eyes.

"Can I keep it?"

Alan laughed.

"Sure, why not? He can catch all of the mosquitoes that seem to be buzzing around . . ."

Ian chuckled.

"Look on the bright side: if they get stuck in amber, you could be a major attraction in the distant future!"

"Wouldn't THAT be a sight?" Sarah giggled, "Can you imagine? . . ."

"Haha! '_Welcome to Alan Park_!' Am I right?" Ian cackled.

Alan crossed his arms.

"Oh, come on, Ian! You _know_ there can only be _one_ of me! I'm just THAT unique."

"I guess you're right. But I imagine it'd be interesting to see yourself from another point of view . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

"You've got a lot of nerve, coming here!" the alternate Ellie snapped as Ellie sat down in the kitchen, "What if someone sees us, huh? How are you going to explain _that_?"

Ellie bit her lip.

"I don't know . . ." she wavered.

"So, why risk it?" the alternate Ellie snapped.

"I need your advice . . ." Ellie whispered humbly.

The alternate Ellie rubbed her temples and sat down.

"Is this about Alan?" she asked bluntly.

"No! Of course not! I'm _pregnant_ . . ." Ellie grumbled.

"Hm. Congratulations. So, what's the question?" she asked tersely.

"Well, I just want to know how to deal with it, _that's all_ . . ."

"But this is your second child, right? So, what do you need ME for?" the alternate Ellie stressed. Ellie hunched her shoulders a little.

"I don't think I can raise this child in the same way I've raised Charlie . . ."

"Why not?" the alternate Ellie asked, tapping the table impatiently.

"He's . . . special."

The alternate Ellie sighed. She drummed her fingers down the side of her coffee cup.

"Was it _difficult_ to raise him?"

"Well, it was strange, _that's_ for sure!" Ellie laughed nervously.

"Then this should be _easier_, right? . . ."

Ellie frowned in thought. That was what Robin said . . .

Then again, that was what ROBIN said . . .

"Do you ever feel like you have no one to talk to?" Ellie asked, "No one competent, I mean?"

The alternate Ellie shrugged.

"Sometimes. But I have my friends . . . and Mark."

Ellie tried not to gag. She coughed a little, however, and choked on her own spit. The alternate Ellie noticed this, but didn't provide anything more than an obtuse reaction. Ellie smiled sheepishly as she cleared her throat. The other Ellie sighed. Her eyes flicked down and up again unceremoniously.

"Are you _really_ happy with Alan?" the alternate Ellie asked cautiously.

"Yes! Of course! And forever, yes!" Ellie affirmed.

"Just asking . . ."

"Well, _stop_! I'm _perfectly happy_ with Alan!" Ellie said with a final nod.

"Then why can't you talk about your problems with _him_?"

Ellie scratched her ear.

"I . . . I can. But I don't know if he'd understand . . ."

The other Ellie closed her eyes.

"If he _doesn't_ understand, maybe you should consider-"

"Don't finish that sentence. Ever."

The alternate Ellie rolled her eyes.

"You're so _naïve_ . . ."

"And _you're _a bitter, lonely housewife!" Ellie spat.

"Did you come back just to _insult _me?" the alternate Ellie growled.

Ellie frowned.

"You and I are very different people . . ."

"You think so? Just wait until Alan betrays you! _Then_ we'll see how jolly you are!"

"Alan won't betray me. He understands . . ."

"Does he?"

"Yes. I- . . . I think so. Maybe. I don't know."

"Why don't you _ask_ him, then?" the alternate Ellie drawled patronizingly.

Ellie scoffed.

"Fine. I will!"

And with that, she stormed out of the room and entered the interdimensional gateway.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan carried a very drowsy Charlie to the Visitors' Center. The raptor's eyelids moved up and down slowly as he dozed off unwillingly. He shook his head a little to wake up. Alan smiled and held him close.

"Are we there yet?" Charlie yawned.

"Almost."

Charlie purred as Alan marched up the rotunda staircase. He walked down the hallway and nudged open the door to Charlie's room with his back. When they were inside, Charlie hopped out of his arms and climbed into bed. After stepping in a small circle, he curled up and waited for Alan to tuck him in.

As he pulled a blanket over Charlie's shoulders, Alan glanced at the drawing above Charlie's bed. He had scribbled a picture of Ellie and Alan in the hospital, glued together with extra-strength rubber cement. Above it, they had stuck glow-in-the-dark stars across the wall, which lit up all of his other drawings. He was getting better with each passing day, and some of his illustrations were looking rather lifelike.

Alan bit his tongue. In his mind, he had attributed this fact to the genetic inheritance of his uncanny ability to sketch, but that was impossible, wasn't it? Charlie wasn't related to him; he wasn't even a member of his species! And yet, who would believe that he _wasn't_ Alan's son? They were so similar, so _identical_, in many respects. They were father and son, and not even a flicker of doubt crossed Alan's mind as he reflected upon this.

_Co-ack!_

Alan smiled as the captured frog gave a gentle ribbit in its tank. It pressed its feet against the glass and made slimy fingerprints. Charlie smiled and stretched out his legs.

"Should I stay up and wait for Mom?" he yawned. Alan smiled and ruffled his feathers.

"No, kiddo. Go to sleep. You'll see her in the morning."

Charlie laid his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. Alan watched him for a moment, then stood up with a sigh. He closed the door gently as he stepped into the hall.

On the way out of the Visitors' Center, he passed Morton and Penelope, who gave him a friendly wave. They set off to find Donald Gennaro, as it was time for their weekly poker game. Kipper and Bucky joined them, and they laughed merrily as they skipped down the hall.

Alan stepped out into the night, where a myriad of crickets sang a gentle melody in the warm, tropical air. A row of torches illuminated the pathway with a gentle orange glow. Noticing that one stick was about to flicker out, Alan grabbed a can of fuel and screwed it in with a soft _click_.

Further down the trail, the road began to grow dark. The staggered blinking of fireflies kept Alan company as he trotted towards the Safari Lodge with a spring in his step. He faltered, however, when he saw a raptor pounce upon a stray goose in the field. Snapping the bird's neck with its jaws, the raptor bent its head down and tore a piece of flesh off the goose's breast. Alan retched a little, then continued down the path. Before he got too far, however, the raptor lifted its head and smiled.

"Alan!"

Oh, god. It was Ellie.

Alan gave an awkward smile as Ellie demorphed and padded up to him, licking the blood off of her lips. He returned an uncomfortable hug and gulped.

"Where have you _been_? I've been looking for you _all day_!" Alan said.

Ellie smiled and rubbed her head against his chest.

"You don't have to worry about me. But I'm glad you care."

She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning against him with a smile on her face. Alan pulled away when she began to purr. She frowned in confusion and cocked her head.

"What's wrong?"

"You're purring."

Ellie blinked.

"I know . . ."

Oh, god. She _knew_. That made it even worse . . .

Noticing his discomfort, Ellie stepped forward and took his hand.

"I wanted to thank you. I'm lucky to have someone who underst-"

"You're scaring me, Ellie."

She let go of his hand and froze. After a beat, Alan resumed his lecture.

"You've been acting really _strange_ lately. It's alarming."

Ellie stared at him with disbelief. Then, her expression shifted to a look of absolute betrayal.

"You think there's something _wrong _with me?"

"Not exactly."

"What, then?"

"We just need to have a little talk, that's all . . ."

"Are you trying to 'fix' me?"

"Calm down . . ."

"I will NOT calm down! Why are you so against raptors, all of a sudden?"

"I'm not against raptors!"

"Then why are you afraid?"

"Because you aren't _supposed _to be a raptor!"

Ellie growled and stormed down the road. Alan jogged beside her.

"Listen, we need to talk. If we just _work through_ this . . ."

"Work through _what_, Alan? My 'raptor issues'? Ha! How do you expect to get through to me if you don't even trust me? No, scratch that! You can't get through to me because you don't understand my _oh-so-frightening_ saurian ways!"

"Ellie, that's not what I meant!"

"Then what DID you mean?"

Alan slowed to a stop and looked into Ellie's eyes. He hadn't seen her this angry since they fought in the clinic over two years ago. This was _very_ bad . . .

Suddenly, Crusher tumbled out of the sky.

"Ellie! Tuhuma's trying to start a forest fire!" he yelped.

Ellie's eyes went wide. Without another word, she sprinted down the road. Alan followed, hoping to help her with whatever disaster was taking place. He puffed as he tried to keep up. She was not a raptor, but she was surprisingly fast.

They found Tuhuma by the tall grass. He was carrying a torch in his mouth. Every time he tried to dip it into the grass, however, the flame fizzled and popped under the moist vegetation.

"Damn. I should have waited until dry season . . ."

Ellie snatched the torch out of his mouth and snapped it over her leg. Tuhuma flinched, but looked up at her hopefully.

"Does this mean you're going to fight me?"

Ellie snarled menacingly.

"I refuse. My answer is _no_. Go home."

Crusher did a little dance.

"Yeah, _go home_, ya big-"

"You too, Crusher."

"But-"

"Now!"

Crusher flinched. He held his head low as he began to escort Tuhuma to the Valley.

"I'm sorry, Ellie . . ." he whispered.

"Filthy pet! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, taking orders from this weak, pathetic human!"

Ellie turned and began to walk up the road with a calm expression.

"She's a disgrace to this island! We'd have been much better off without her."

Ellie didn't break her stride. Alan walked beside her.

"Now we're the livestock of a soft-headed weakling. Feh! Pathetic excuse of a leader! Next thing you know, she'll be handing off the job to her half-breed son-"

Ellie whipped around and pounced on Tuhuma, morphing into a raptor in midair. Alan watched with wide eyes as they tore at each other's throats, snarling and hissing like feral tigers. He tried to intervene, but they were a hurricane of claws and teeth. Suddenly, Ellie grabbed Tuhuma's arm in her jaw. Before he could slash at her face, she twisted her head and fractured his humerus. He howled in pain and limped away hastily, his arm hanging flaccidly in a u-shaped curve. Ellie growled. Tuhuma whimpered and retreated into the darkness.

With Tuhuma gone, Ellie began to pant in exhaustion. She demorphed unsteadily, stumbling down the road like a drunkard. Alan reached out to catch her, but she pushed him away. She staggered back towards the Visitors' Center with clenched teeth.

"Ellie! Ellie, wait . . ."

"WHAT?"

Alan stumbled backwards, afraid that she might decide to attack him as well. Instead, she just looked at him with rage and disappointment.

***_TSJPFEW_***

They didn't exchange another word that night. Ellie didn't even bother changing into her nightgown. She simply kicked off her shoes and wrapped herself in the bedsheets, facing away from the center of the bed. Alan reached out his hand to comfort her, but decided against it. Instead, he stepped into bed and turned away from her, hoping that she would feel better in the morning. He told himself that it was just a hiccup, that it would pass in a day or two . . .

But it was hard to ignore the frantic weeping coming from the other side of the bed.


	39. Cintre

Ellie sat on the edge of her bed. Alan had fallen asleep quite some time ago, and was breathing lightly. She watched him, silently replaying his words through her mind like some kind of horrible tape. Her heart ached as she recalled the way he had seemed repulsed by her actions . . . And the way he _looked_ at her! . . . It was enough to make her wish that they had never met.

Scooting closer to Alan, Ellie brushed away a strand of hair from his forehead. He shifted a little, then became very still. Once again, tears began to slide down Ellie's face. Could it be true? Was he really afraid of her? She hoped not, but it was looking pretty bleak.

Ellie exhaled unsteadily and turned her eyes to the ground. Her feet seemed so large and clunky in the silver-tinged darkness, not at all like the graceful claws of a velociraptor. Had she become so accustomed to her saurian form that her own body no longer felt natural? She didn't want to think about it.

With a newfound resolve, Ellie stood up and flicked on the bathroom light. She stared at her reflection for a long time, trying desperately to convince herself that she was supposed to be this way. Try as she might, she couldn't allow herself to believe that she was looking at her own face.

Was it so wrongto want to be something else, something more _capable _than her poor, menial self? No one had batted an eye when Robin decided to remain a dinosaur. Why was _she_ so different? Then again, Robin had Yannick, whereas Ellie couldn't possibly count on Alan's support.

Ellie felt her stomach twist. What if her other self was right? What if Alan was about to betray her? He didn't understand. He _couldn't_ understand. They were so _different_ . . .

"What am I going to do?" Ellie whispered.

Suddenly, Mr. DNA popped out of the dripping tap.

"Why don't you try telling Alan how you feel?"

Ellie jumped back in surprise.

"Ah! I forgot about you . . ." she gasped.

Mr. DNA perched himself on her shoulder.

"The simple fact is this: you want to be yourself, and the only thing standing in your way is Alan."

"He's not _standing in my way_! His reaction is perfectly reasonable. Insensitive, but reasonable . . ."

"Just talk to him . . ."

Ellie shook her head.

"I already _tried_ that. He doesn't understand . . ."

"I'm sure he would accept you if-"

"I need to find the other Ellie!"

Mr. DNA grabbed her hair as she began to walk away.

"Now, that is a BAD idea, missy! You don't want to turn to HER for advice. She _definitely_ doesn't understand your predicament."

"Maybe not, but I need to know what I would think of this if I wasn't insane . . ."

"You're just_ confused_, that's all! There's no need to go rushing into-"

Ellie turned.

"STOP!" Mr. DNA pleaded.

Ellie frowned and reached out her hand. The cartoon wiggled around fearfully in her palm as she grabbed him. He tried to squeeze out of her fist by pushing down on her index finger, but she dumped him into the wastebasket and closed the lid tightly. Ellie whipped around and turned off the bathroom lights, ignoring the muffled cries that came from inside the bin.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Charlie yawned and stretched out his legs. He had heard whispering and footsteps coming from outside of his room, and it seemed rather suspicious. When he peeked through the door, he was surprised to see his mother jogging down the hall. He could tell by the way she was moving that something was terribly wrong. He considered waking up his father, but decided against it. He would have to see where she was going first, or he wouldn't know how to find her later.

As he exited the Visitors' Center, Charlie morphed into a macaw and soared above and behind his mother. She was headed for a part of the island that he hadn't yet explored, and he didn't really know where to go. He took note of obvious landmarks in preparation for his return journey, silently wondering what could be so important in this relatively abandoned area.

His mother stopped when she reached a large, grey building. Opening the latched door, she slammed it against the side of the building with a metallic thud. Charlie paused, but eventually decided to demorph and head inside. He followed Ellie's footsteps through the building, keeping close to the wall in case he wasn't meant to be seen. He must have taken a wrong turn at some point, though, because her footsteps were growing fainter and fainter.

Charlie bit his lip. What was he going to do _now_?

_ZAP!_

Charlie leapt into the air as a loud crackling noise came from a nearby room. He dashed down the hall, worried that his mother was in danger. When he found the right door, however, he saw that something _far _worse had happened. Charlie tried to call out to his mother, but she had already stepped into the machine.

***_TSJPFEW_***

'I'm sick of waiting, Henry! We're not meant to be locked up in cages!' Seriama whimpered, 'How much longer do you plan to _sit _here?'

'Not long. Be patient.'

'I've _been_ patient!' she exclaimed in agony, 'But I don't think I can take much more of this . . .'

Suddenly, a tiny, feathered raptor hopped along the perimeter of their paddock.

"Kipper! Otto! Bucky! Something's happened!" he cried, "Help! Help! Help! Is anyone _there_?"

Henry smiled in an unsettling way. The raptors had gone to deal with a dissident, and they had left the enclosure completely unguarded. He stepped into the light and paced along the edge of the fence. When the infant raptor caught sight of him, he shrunk away.

'Don't be afraid: we can't harm you. Your mother did a good job of locking us up.'

The baby raptor began to shiver.

"I know who you are . . ."

'Yes, I imagine you would. But let's not be too quick to judge. We are, after all, both theropods, are we not?'

The raptor hissed.

"No . . . No, you're not one of us!"

Henry chuckled.

'Why? Because I'm _essentially_ a human? Well, so is your mother . . .'

"Maybe. But we're family."

Seriama giggled as Henry adopted a tone of false concern.

'Poor, naïve raptor. He thinks he's _wanted_ . . .'

"I _am_ wanted!" the raptor insisted.

'For now. But what do you think is going to happen when your mother gives birth? Why would she want YOU, when she has a _human _child to take care of?'

Seriama stopped laughing when she saw the expression on the raptor's face. He looked absolutely heartbroken. Slowly, she leaned in towards Henry and bit her lip.

'Henry, we'd better not . . .'

'It's a shame, really, that she doesn't love you enough to put your needs before her own . . .' he continued, ignoring her pleas, 'Once she's gone, you'll have nowhere to go. She didn't raise you to be a proper raptor: _that _much is for certain . . .'

The baby raptor was crying now. Seriama frowned.

'Henry, stop!'

'She'll go back to the mainland, of course, and you'll never see her again-'

'HENRY!'

Seriama slammed into his side. He grunted and shook his head. The infant frowned up at him as he growled at Seriama.

"You're lying . . ." the raptor whispered, "My parents told me about you; how you manipulate others to have your way . . ."

'_Insolent child_! . . .'

"I'm going to tell my mother what you said. _She'll _know what to do . . ."

The raptor spun around and sprinted back the way he came. Henry growled as he watched him leave.

'I'm sorry, Henry . . . He was so _upset _. . . I couldn't-'

He wheeled around and slashed her across the snout. She whimpered and stumbled away in fear.

'Idiot! You've ruined everything! Now, we'll have to improvise . . .'

'We can steal an access card from anyone, Henry. This isn't over . . .' Seriama said in a panicked tone of voice.

'No . . . No, it's not,' he hissed calmly, 'Slide through the bars. Let me out.'

She did as she was told. Once she had unlocked the door, she stepped back to make room for her companion.

'What are we going to do _now_? Will we have to fight our way back?' she asked onerously.

Henry shook his head.

'No. First, we need to find a weak link . . . someone exploitable, someone soft-headed . . .'

'We should find that allosaurus. She seems gullible,' Seriama suggested.

'But she's fiercely loyal. No, I think this calls for tact. And I know _exactly_ who we can use . . .'

***_TSJPFEW_***

Alan shifted in bed. It was rather cold, and he was having a hard time falling asleep while shivering. He reached over to pull Ellie closer, but found that she had disappeared.

With a racing heart, Alan sat up quickly and looked around the room. Ellie was nowhere to be seen. Hastily, he got dressed, hopping from foot to foot in terror. Now he'd_ really_ done it! He should have talked to her, he _knew_ he should have. Why was he so _stupid_?

Before he could walk out the door, a rattling sound caught Alan's attention. He flicked on the bathroom light and opened the garbage can. A stringy cartoon lifted itself out of the bin.

"HOLY MOTHER OF-"

"No time to explain, Dr. Grant! We need to find Ellie!"

Alan stared at the scribble with his mouth agape. It wiggled through the air, flying out the door like a possessed necklace. Alan followed. He paused, however, when he saw that Charlie's door was open.

"Oh, _no_! Oh, no, no, no, no, no!"

He searched the room for signs of a struggle. There were none. The cartoon did a fly-by, but gave up when the captured frog took a snap at him.

"Ellie's gone, Charlie's gone . . . Where _are_ they?" Alan asked rhetorically.

"Come on! I'll show you!" the scribble urged, pulling Alan out the door.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robin yawned and slid her head out from under Yannick's chin. Nudging her eggs slightly, she smiled and closed her eyes. It was very early in the morning, and the sky was turning a pale grey. A half-dozen birds sang lightly in the haze, pausing every now and then to receive a reply. Robin smiled and stood up. She plucked a leaf off a nearby tree and placed it over the nest to keep her eggs warm. They were lovely little things: all organized in a neat circle, just like an ivory halo. It was darling, really. And strange! After so many years of denying her maternal instincts, Robin was finally allowed to love someone other than her cat. Now she'd have _fifteen_ baby dinosaurs to look after. There was no doubt that they'd be beautiful once they hatched. They seemed to be growing quickly, too. Robin could have sworn that she even saw one wiggle the other day . . .

A pompous voice interrupted her sentimental thoughts. Robin lifted her head to see what all the fuss was about. Mrs Sattler strutted down the road proudly, holding herself like a queen of queens. She passed Robin and gave her a smug grin.

"Why are YOU up so early?" Robin asked. Mrs Sattler puffed out her chest and beamed.

"I'm just being a wonderful mother, _that's all_ . . ."

Robin lifted an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Indubitably. I'd like to see Ellen call me a tramp after _this_!"

"After _what_?" Robin hummed.

"Well, I've decided to play along with her little dinosaur games . . ."

"Dinosaur games? That sounds like an action movie!"

"Honestly, I'll never understand why Ellen chose YOU as a friend!" Mrs Sattler guffawed. Robin snorted.

"I'll ignore that comment and ask you this: what exactly did you do?"

Mrs Sattler pursed her lips.

"Why, I helped her dinosaur friend, of course!"

Robin chuckled.

"Did Bucky get stuck in a tree again?"

"No, this wasn't a raptor."

"Herrerasaur, then?"

"What are those?" Mrs Sattler asked.

"You know: the red, blotchy dinosaurs."

"He was _kind of_ red, and a little blotchy on top. But his friend was brown."

Robin froze. Did she mean? . . .

No, she must be mistaken.

"Mrs Sattler . . . What exactly did you _do_?"

Mrs Sattler twirled her hand nonchalantly.

"I brought him that red liquid from the lab. It was hard to find, mind you, but I did it anyway."

Robin began to breathe more rapidly.

"This dinosaur . . . was he big?"

"Yes."

"Gray?"

"Yes."

"Did he have a sail on his back?"

"Yes, why?"

Robin dashed into the jungle.

"Yannick, wake up! Wu's on the loose!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie sniffled and wiped away her tears. Her alternate self handed her another tissue, though she looked apathetic, at best.

"I just don't know what to _do_ . . ." Ellie sniffed, "I thought he would understand . . ."

The alternate Ellie rolled her eyes.

"I warned you, _didn't _I? Alan isn't the 'caring' type."

"But we were doing _fine_ . . . What went wrong?"

The other Ellie sighed.

"I wonder that, too. I guess Alan is just meant to be a friend, and nothing more. He's not ready for commitment . . ."

Ellie shook her head.

"No . . . I forced it. _That's_ why. It's _my_ fault for making him stay on- . . . for making him stay with me. He wasn't _meant _to be a part of my crazy scheme . . ."

Suddenly, the other Ellie leapt to her feet and began to scream shrilly. Charlie had somehow appeared in the room, and was slowly clicking across the hardwood floor towards them. The alternate Ellie shrieked as he stepped forward. He backed away in confusion.

"What's going on? Why are there tw-"

He ducked as the alternate Ellie launched a lamp through the air.

"AH!"

"Stop it!" Ellie yelped, running over to assist Charlie. The other Ellie grabbed a chair to defend herself. Before she could take a swing, Ellie tackled her to the ground.

"Don't touch him! Don't you _dare_ touch him!"

They wrestled on the ground as Charlie watched in horror.

"Mom, stop hitting yourself!" he whimpered.

Ellie growled and let her alternate self go. Before she could find another piece of furniture-based weaponry, Ellie stood up and grabbed Charlie, holding him protectively in her arms. The other Ellie gawked in disbelief.

"What is that _thing_ doing in my house?" she hissed. Charlie whimpered and buried his head into Ellie's shoulder.

_ZAP!_

With a bright fizzle, Alan appeared in the room.

"Alan?" the other Ellie gasped.

"Ellie? . . . _Ellie_?" Alan blathered, looking from one Ellie to the other.

"Alan, I can explain . . ."

Suddenly, the alternate Ellie stood up and grabbed her chair.

". . . But first, we should get out of here!"

Ellie handed Charlie to Alan as her alternate self began to hold out the chair like a lion-tamer. Morphing into a raptor, Ellie hissed and swiped at her to buy them some time.

The last thing she saw as they returned to their world was the look of horror on her own face.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Kipper sighed as Tuhuma took another snap at Bucky. For a raptor who had had his arm fractured in two places (among other injuries), he was awfully spirited. But what else was new?

It was hard to believe that Ellie had actually attacked someone, especially a raptor, of all things. Kipper hadn't witnessed the fight firsthand, but Crusher had proven himself to be a rather compelling storyteller, as he had a vivid memory when it came to mutilation and injury. His description of the battle was graphic, to say the least. Although his recounting was sufficiently detailed, very few raptors wanted to believe him. No one could have guessed that Ellie was capable of such violence, yet Tuhuma had returned with ghastly injuries all over his body. It was more than a little nerve-wracking.

Ah, well. At least he had gotten what he deserved. It was true what they said about wrongdoers: karma would always catch up with them in the end. Now that Ellie had proven herself intolerant of such behavior (to put it mildly), it was unlikely that anyone would dare cross her in the near future. For now, the island was safe from traitors and dissidents.

Just as he was relishing this though, Kipper caught sight of a very panicked Robin, who was trampling through the underbrush with absolute terror.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"I'm so sorry, Alan!" Ellie sobbed, "I didn't mean for it to get out of hand . . ."

Alan pulled her close and sighed.

"It's okay, it's okay . . ."

"No, it's not! How can you _say_ that? . . ."

Alan lifted her chin with his index finger.

"We're safe. We're home. It's over."

Ellie wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she began to weep. After a few seconds, Charlie stepped forward and tugged on her pantleg.

"I'm sorry . . ."

Ellie sniffed and looked down at him.

"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have left in the first place . . ."

"No, not for _that_," Charlie said quietly, "I'm sorry for not being . . . normal."

Ellie knelt down and hugged him as he began to cry.

"Oh, sweetie: there's nothing wrong with you. This is all _my_ fault. And _nothing_ the other woman said was true . . ."

Alan sat down and held both of them as they blubbered. Ellie still had a lot of explaining to do, but for now, it was more important to make sure that Charlie was okay. He had just had a lamp thrown at him by his own mother, after all. Even though it wasn't the same Ellie, Alan imagined that it must be frightening to endure such a harsh experience.

"I can leave . . ." Charlie said in a barely-audible voice. Ellie sobbed as he began to slide out of her arms.

"Don't go, Charlie! Don't go!" she howled, pulling him closer, "I love you. Your father loves you. We want you here, now and forever . . ."

"But the other you-"

"-is _wrong_! She's _so_ wrong!" Ellie asserted, "She doesn't know how _wonderful _you are. If she knew you like_ I_ did-"

"She wouldn't have thrown a lamp at me?" Charlie ventured.

Ellie gave a kind of sobbing laugh and rocked him back and forth in her arms. He sighed and closed his eyes.

"I love you more than anything in the world," Ellie whispered, "I would _never_ ask you to leave. If you did, I'd be heartbroken . . ."

Charlie gave her a sad smile and nuzzled up against her shoulder. She pressed her cheek against his and stroked the back of his head. Alan gave her a meaningful stare, and she bit her tongue.

"ELLIE! ALAN!" Kipper shouted as he burst into the room.

"Kipper?" Ellie gasped, "What's wrong? What are you_ doing_ here?"

"I might ask YOU the same question!" he snapped, "Get up, morph, and run! It's an emergency!"

"What-"

"_Wu has escaped_!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

They found Wu outside the main lab. He had loaded every single vial of the cure into a makeshift bindle, which he carried on his shoulders like a howdah. Ellie didn't know what he planned to do with them, but she wasn't about to wait and see. She handed Charlie to Alan and sprinted down the hill, grabbing a taser as she went. After jabbing it into her arm, she tumbled towards Wu, growing larger with each step. She stopped, however, when a raptor blocked her path.

'Hello, _Ellie_!' Tuhuma snarled. Ellie roared and snapped her teeth angrily. Before she could reach him, however, Seriama appeared out of nowhere and grabbed her neck in her jaws. Ellie rumbled as she bit down. She could feel blood trickling down her neck.

'Well, well, well . . .' Wu said, stepping forward with calculated strides, 'It appears that the _tyrant lizard_ has met its match . . .'

Ellie gasped in pain as Seriama twisted her head and pushed her to the ground.

'It's kind of ironic, when you think about it . . .' Wu continued, 'Your mother was so keen to prove herself, yet she only managed to make things _worse_ . . .'

'Did you . . . kill her? . . .' Ellie panted. Wu laughed.

'Of course not! She isn't worth my time. Neither are you, for that matter.'

Ellie rested her head on the grass, bracing herself for whatever trick he was about to pull. He dipped his head down and smiled.

'I'll tell you what: why don't we make a deal, you and I?'

Ellie didn't answer.

'I think you'll find that the terms are fair. First, you let me use Sorkin's lab up North. Second, you let me operate the interdimensional machine. In return, I won't harm any of your raptor friends. Do we have a deal?'

'You're . . . lying,' Ellie choked.

Wu cocked his head and adopted a mocking tone of voice.

'Oh, poor Ellie. She doesn't trust me! What have I done to deserve this abuse?'

Ellie growled, but Seriama pushed her deeper into the dirt.

'So, what'll it be?' Wu whispered, 'Will you cooperate, or do I have to take your island _by force_?'

Ellie closed her eyes.

'PEEPEETSOO!'

Right out of the blue, Robin rammed into Wu's side with a jeep. He stumbled and hissed at her. While Seriama was busy watching them fight, Ellie took advantage of her distraction by kicking her legs out from underneath her. Seriama rolled onto her side as Ellie stood up.

'RAAAAAAAAAH!'

Ellie grabbed Wu's neck in her jaws. He roared and pulled himself out of her grasp. Robin whipped her tail across his snout with a sharp snap. Seriama righted herself and crept up behind her. Before she could attack, Yannick sprung from the bushes and tore into her side.

'Retreat!' Wu commanded. He grabbed Seriama and pulled her into the forest. Tuhuma hissed, then followed.

Ellie panted. She felt woozy from all of the fighting and blood loss.

'Don't let them get away!' Yannick roared. He charged through the bushes with Robin close behind. When he realized where the traitors were headed, his eyes went wide.

'Turn around! _Turn around_! Stop, or you'll-'

_CRUNCH!_

Ellie watched in horror as Seriama lifted her foot. She had stepped right in the middle of Robin's nest.

'NO!' Robin wailed. She ran up to the trampled vegetation and sobbed. Nothing was left of her eggs but a few broken shells. Seriama backed away with guilt.

'I . . . I didn't mean to-'

Yannick roared and chased her away. Seriama joined Wu and Tuhuma, who fled north. Ellie watched them leave. It would be useless to pursue the traitors until her band had regrouped. With a melancholic sigh, she turned away and closed her eyes.

'Robin, I'm sorry . . .'

Ellie jumped back as Robin snarled at her.

'Where WERE you, Ellie? You could have _stopped _this!' she sobbed.

'Robin, I didn't-'

She pushed her away.

'Don't . . . I don't want to hear your excuses . . .'

She lumbered away sadly, leaving Ellie alone by the shattered fragments. Yannick looked at them with dismay.

'These three aren't badly damaged,' he said weakly, pointing to three semi-cracked eggs, 'Do you think? . . .'

Ellie sighed.

'Bring them to the lab. We'll have to wait and see . . .'


	40. Never

Ellie waited patiently outside the lab with Alan by her side. She was too big to fit through the door, and with a low supply of Roquefort cheese, it would be a long time before she could demorph. Alan was sitting still, so it was hard to keep track of where he was. Ellie tried to apply her human intuition to her thoughts in order to find him, but with a T-Rex brain, it was like trying to find a speckle on a white wall. She gave a sad rumble and lowered her head.

"You okay?" Alan asked.

Ellie stared at him.

"Yeah, I guess that WAS a stupid question . . ." he sighed.

"Are you mad at me?" Ellie asked.

"No. I'm just disappointed."

Ellie whimpered and bit her lip.

"Disappointed in _myself_, I mean. I should have been more understanding . . ."

"Don't try to make me feel better. I screwed up."

"Maybe a little . . ."

Ellie started to cry all over again. Alan stood up with guilt.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" he offered.

Ellie sniffed and rested her chin on the ground.

"Can you move around a bit? . . . Just so I know you're there?"

Alan smiled and walked by her side. He circled Ellie until he was directly in front her, then climbed up onto her snout. He lay on the ridge of her nose, gently patting her antorbital fenestra area. Ellie smiled and closed her eyes. Alan lowered himself onto his stomach and gently pecked her nose.

"I'll bet you never thought you'd be kissing a T-Rex," Ellie laughed. Alan squeezed her affectionately and smiled.

"Certainly not! But it's you, so I don't mind . . ."

Ellie sighed.

"It's just you . . ." Alan repeated.

They sat quietly for a long time. It was peaceful, being alone like this. Ellie allowed herself to forget her troubles for a fleeting moment. When the time had passed, however, she exhaled deeply and bit her lip.

"Do you think Robin is still mad at me?" Ellie asked.

"I don't think she ever was," Alan speculated, "It was a rough experience, that's all . . ."

"And Charlie? . . ."

"We had a little talk. He trusts you. There's no need to worry."

"And you?"

Alan stared at her calmly.

"I don't know what you're going through. I don't know what you're thinking or what you're feeling . . . But I know YOU. You are kind and loyal and strong, and you wouldn't be resorting to these measures if this wasn't something serious. You've never exaggerated your qualms before. If anything, you're too introverted. But I'm here to help. You just need to ask."

"Oh, Alan . . ."

"Shhh, shhh . . . It's okay."

Ellie rumbled softly.

"I think I'm changing . . ."

Sure enough, she was starting to glow. Alan slid down from her snout, but continued to hold her as she shrunk. Soon, he held her in his arms, rocking her back and forth slowly.

"We can work through this," he whispered, "We've been through worse . . ."

"Have we?" Ellie asked.

"It always seems like the end of the world when you're in it, but nothing is the end of the world, except the end of the world."

"I love you, Alan."

"I love you, too."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Yannick stared at the last three eggs hopefully. They had grey cracks along their sides, and they had lost some of their luster. One egg was particularly damaged, and was a little bit crumpled on its side. They had taped it shut for fear that it might start dripping. Yannick dared not touch them, as physical contact would be a pointless risk.

"We're back . . ." Ellie said quietly as she meandered through the lab. Alan followed, hanging his hat on an unused microscope. They walked up to Robin, who hadn't said a word for over an hour. She glanced at them briefly, then turned her eyes back to the eggs. Ellie bit her lip.

"It isn't looking good . . ." Robin whispered. Ellie put her arms around her neck. Robin didn't move.

"Do you think we'd be able to use a stethoscope?" Alan asked. Yannick shook his head.

"We'd better not try. I don't want them to break . . ."

Val strutted into the room with the gang of seven gathered behind her. Ellie stood up and ushered Val to another room. When they were out of earshot, Val closed the door.

"We've found Wu. He's doing experiments in Sorkin's lab, up North. If we surround the building-"

Val blinked. Ellie cocked her head.

"What?"

"I was just expecting you to interrupt me, that's all."

Ellie waved her hand.

"Continue."

Val cleared her throat.

"If we surround the building, we can block his exit route. Then, one of us can go inside and-"

Val blinked again.

"And, what?" Ellie prompted.

"And find Wu, Seriama, and Tuhuma-"

Val blinked for a third time.

"And kill them?" Ellie finished.

"We have to."

Ellie nodded. Val sighed and rubbed up against her shoulder.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this . . ."

"No. I let you down. I let everyone down. I'm no leader . . ."

"You are! You're brave and strong and-"

"A human. Only a raptor can lead the pack."

"You're more of a raptor than anyone I've ever met . . ."

"But I'm not meant to be. I can't control myself. I don't _try_ to control myself. I can't remain in this liminal stage forever. I don't think I have the courage to go through with this."

"No, no, no! Don't _say_ that . . ."

"You're Chieftain now."

"Stop! Just stop!" Val urged, "You don't know what you're saying. You're a good person, and an even better raptor! You're more of a raptor than_ I_ am . . ."

"Val, is there something you'd like to_ talk _about? . . ."

"No. Maybe. Yes. Not right now. We have to find Wu."

"You've already _found_ Wu. Just say what you mean: we have to murder him."

"You don't have to come with us . . ."

Ellie shook her head.

"I can't let you go alone."

"Then I'm coming with you," Yannick said from the doorway. Ellie frowned.

"You aren't supposed to be listening, Yannick . . ."

"Sorry. But my request remains the same. It's my duty to avenge my children . . ."

"Oh, Yannick! What about Robin? Who's going to stay with_ her_?" Ellie asked. Yannick bit his lip.

"Ellie, I HAVE to go. Please, try to understand . . ."

Ellie sighed deeply.

"I do."

Yannick gave a sad smile. Ellie nodded and stood up.

"Let's go."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie and Alan led the pack through the woods. They both carried guns, as Ellie wanted to avoid morphing for a while, especially if it was electrocution-induced. She was still pregnant, after all, and unless the situation called for saurian violence, it was best to remain human. Still, Ellie worried about Alan's self-defense tactics. He was a terrible shot, and he might not be accurate enough if they got into a scrap. Not that it was hard to miss one of the largest theropods known to man, but still . . .

"Be careful, everyone: this barymimus is no ordinary dinosaur . . ." Crusher warned them. Lance nodded.

"Yeah, she can slip through cracks like a . . . like a . . ."

"Like a slimy snake!" Bucky finished.

"Yeah, _that_."

Ellie nodded and cocked her gun.

"She can camouflage herself, as well. I saw her change color . . ."

Kipper's eyes went wide.

"Like the carnotaurs? Man, that'd be perfect for an-"

"AMBUSH!" Val shrieked.

Seriama appeared right in front of them. She snapped her jaws and hissed. Otto ducked as she swiped her claws through the air, hopping up onto her snout and sliding down her back. While Seriama turned to grab him, Val leapt into the air and dug her claws into her side. She roared and shook her off.

"Ellie, shoot her!"

Ellie took aim, but found that she couldn't pull the trigger. Seeing this, Crusher nudged her to the side.

"You don't have to do this, Ellie. Let me take care of her."

Before Ellie could stop him, he stepped onto Seriama's snout and tore into her skull. She screamed and tossed her head. For a while, he seemed to be hanging on just fine, but he came loose quite suddenly, landing in Seriama's jaws. Ellie gasped and shot at her several times. When she hit a sensitive spot, Seriama let Crusher drop. Ellie grabbed him and brought him over to Val. He was missing a leg.

"Crusher? Crusher!" Val wailed. He lifted his head weakly and looked at her with glazed eyes.

"Did I get her? . . ."

Val broke down in tears. Ellie called Lance over to carry Crusher away from the battle.

"He needs medical attention! Hurry!"

Lance and Val dragged Crusher away. He struggled deliriously, kicking his remaining leg in the air.

"Don't bring me back! Don't bring me back! I have to fight! Ellie doesn't trust me . . ."

He fell to the ground. Ellie ran over and grabbed his head.

"I trust you, Crusher! I trust you! You can go home now. You-"

Ellie gasped as Wu and Tuhuma charged towards them. Lance snarled as they drew near.

"Not my brother! You won't get _my brother_!" he yowled as he tackled Tuhuma to the ground. He was quickly snatched up by Wu, who held him in his jaws.

"Lance!" Val shouted.

Ellie dashed over, but it was too late. Wu bit down hard. Lance's eyes went wide, then closed forever. Wu dropped his lifeless body to the ground.

"NO!" Val wailed. She ran past Ellie and began to sob by Lance's side. Seeing what had happened, Crusher tried to drag himself over with his claws.

"Buzz! Rocky! Get Crusher to the clinic!" Ellie commanded. They grabbed each of his arms and hoisted him onto their backs. Val continued to weep beside her dead son.

'Oh, Ellie. You've really done it this time . . .' Wu jeered.

Ellie glared at him with tears burning in her eyes.

'Don't look at me that way: we had a deal. Since you refused to uphold your end, I was forced to take serious measures. How many more of your friends are you willing to sacrifice before you surrender?'

"Don't listen to him, Ellie! He's trying to play mind-games!" Kipper shouted.

'Tell the raptors to leave. Unless you want me to finish them off . . .'

Ellie turned to Val, Kipper, Bucky, and Otto.

"Go."

"Ellie . . ."

"Please, go . . ."

They turned away sadly and lifted Lance's body off the ground. Marching away in a solemn wake, Kipper turned one last time to look at Ellie with teary eyes. She bit her lip and choked.

'Well, now that they're gone, I have a stunning proposal for you . . .'

Ellie clenched her fists and walked forward. Yannick and Alan stood beside her for protection.

"Go to hell!"

Wu laughed.

'Don't be so quick to squander this opportunity. You see, I have friends in high places. The great tiger has graciously chosen me to be his second-in-command. Once I take over all of Fiction, I'll find that masked lunatic and locate his precious Star . . .'

"The Majordomo? You _know _about him?" Ellie gasped.

'Of course I do. How long do you think I've been planning this? Zebil and I made this arrangement four years ago. I know all about what we _are_ . . .'

"Then you know this is a bad idea. People are going to get hurt . . ."

'Yes, well, that's entirely up to you, isn't it? Let me use the machine. I'm almost done working on the cure . . .'

"What are you doing with it?"

Wu smiled and held up a small syringe.

'I can't allow myself to lose my memory, or I won't be able to go through with the deal. You have NO idea how hard it is to mix chemicals with claws. Just thought I'd mention . . .'

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" Yannick spat, "You're a coward for taking the easy way out!"

Wu smiled.

'I'm SO glad you feel that way . . . because _you'll_ be doing it the hard way . . .'

He lunged at Yannick and jabbed the needle into his side. Ellie and Alan ran over as he began to gasp and choke. He fell to the ground, writhing around as he began to glow. Soon, he was tiny, unconscious, and human.

"No! What have you done?" Alan growled, "You didn't have to _do_ that!"

'I don't HAVE to do anything,' Wu replied, ignoring the fact that Alan couldn't understand him, 'It just makes it easier to kill you, that's all . . .'

And with that, Tuhuma pounced on Alan. He tried to shoot the vicious raptor, but the gun was forcefully yanked out of his hands by a pair of foaming jaws. Ellie sprinted over, morphing into a raptor along the way. She clamped her mouth around Tuhuma's throat and tore through his veins. He gurgled as blood poured between his teeth. Dropping him, Ellie turned to Alan and demorphed. He had a deep gash across his throat.

Wu chuckled as Ellie tried to hold the wound closed. Seriama nudged him nervously, but he pushed her away.

'What are you so worried about, Ellie? You _know_ the post-mortem reaction is going to take effect . . .'

"Bastard! I'll kill you! I'll _kill _you!" Ellie sobbed.

'You ought to be thanking me, really. After all, isn't this what you always wanted? If he becomes a raptor, you won't have anything to worry about. You can have a true raptor family . . .'

Ellie screamed with fury and morphed into a metriacanthosaur. She snapped at Wu, who dodged her brutish attacks with ease. Seriama backed away uncomfortably.

'Henry . . .'

Wu shrieked as a bullet caught the side of his neck. Ian and Sarah had come to the rescue, and they were heavily armed. After a short battle, Wu and Seriama retreated to Sorkin's lab, leaving Ellie, Alan, Ian, Sarah, and Yannick alone. Ellie demorphed and swayed back and forth. Ian caught her as she fell. She lowered herself to her hands and knees and crawled over to Alan. When she put her fingers on his neck, she could feel a very faint pulse.

"We need to save him, if we can," Ellie stated. Ian nodded, then turned to Yannick.

"Is that-"

"Yes."

"Man, I had forgotten what he looked like . . ."

Sarah walked over and swung his unconscious body over her shoulder.

"Let's move."

***_TSJPFEW_***

When they arrived at the lab, they lay Alan on a table beside Crusher, who was slowly recovering from his injuries. A couple of nurses (one raptor, one human) tended to their wounds. Also present were Morton and Penelope, as well as Val and the gang of seven-

. . . and the gang of six.

Lance's body had been covered with a thick, black sheet. Val kept a solitary vigil as the commotion escalated.

When Sarah came through the door with Yannick, Robin lifted her head. Her expression shifted from confusion to recognition, and then to horror.

"Oh, Yanni! Yanni! What have they _done _to you? . . ." she sobbed as she ran across the room. Ellie limped over to them slowly, retrieving the half-empty syringe from Sarah.

"Wu changed him back . . ." Ellie whispered.

Poor Robin. She had lost her children and her husband all in one day. Ellie couldn't bear to see her like this. Robin wasn't meant to be brooding; she was supposed to be gleeful, energetic, happy . . .

From the other side of the room, Alan groaned and rolled over. Ellie sprinted over and placed her hands on his cheeks.

"Alan? . . ." she quavered.

He turned his head and moaned.

"Urrrgh . . . That _really_ hurt . . ."

"Oh, Alan . . ."

Ellie cradled his head in her arms as tears began to pour down her face once more. He smiled up at her, but weakly. As much as she wanted to believe that-

Ellie felt very sick all of a sudden. Her stomach twisted as she realized what she had been thinking. She tried to tell herself that she was glad that Alan had recovered, but . . .

"Ellie, are you okay?" Alan asked.

She rocked back and forth a little before answering.

"I . . . I'm not the one who had my throat slashed . . ." she quivered weakly.

As Ellie gave Alan a faltering smile, Yannick groaned and rubbed his head. Robin perked up immediately, leaning in closer to help him in any way possible.

"Ah . . . I feel like my head was stuck in a vise . . ." he drawled, "What's going-"

He spotted Robin.

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

As Yannick screamed, Robin jumped away in fear. Scrambling to his feet, Yannick tried to find a way out of the room, but there were dinosaurs at every turn.

"Calm down! Calm down!" Ellie shouted, holding her hands out defensively, "You're delirious. You might have amnesia. Sit down. It's alright."

"Like HELL it is!" Yannick spat, "Why aren't the raptors contained? Who _are _you people? Why-"

"Slow down, slow down . . ." Ian said, coming to the rescue, "We'll explain everything in a bit. Just be patient."

Yannick frowned.

"Hey . . . You're that mathematician guy, aren't you? . . ."

"Chaotician. You remember me?"

"Yeah. Wu brought you here, right?"

Ellie frowned with apprehension.

"Yannick . . . What year is it?" she asked slowly.

"How do you know my name? . . ."

"Answer the question."

"It's 1995 . . ."

"Uh-oh. That's a very big gap . . ." Ian remarked.

Robin, who had been waiting patiently in the corner, decided to attempt another interaction. She shuffled towards Yannick and bent her head in submission.

"Yannick . . . Do you remember me?"

He shook his head.

"No. I've never met you. I think I'd remember a talking dinosaur . . ."

"Actually, I'm not a dinosaur. Not really. It's me: Robin. You remember me, right? . . ."

Yannick's eyes went wide.

"_ROBIN_?!"

She grinned.

"Yes! Yes! He remembers me!"

"Well, sure! But why are you a dinosaur?"

"It was the PMR! That's why-"

"I ought to have known that you'd be stupid enough to get yourself killed."

Robin stopped bouncing. After exchanging an awkward glance with Ellie, she turned back to Yannick.

"Actually . . . it was YOU who killed me."

Yannick scoffed.

"Impossible! For that to work, I'd have to be-"

"A dinosaur?" Ian finished, "You were. In fact, you've been a dinosaur for over two years . . ."

Yannick gave him a confused look.

"Does that mean you only found the cure _now_?"

"Well, no. We've always had it. You just didn't want to take it, that's all."

"What? Why not? Who wants to be a _dinosaur _forever? . . ."

"I do," Robin whispered. Yannick scoffed.

"Figures. You've always been eccentric . . ."

Robin gulped.

"You mean that in a _good_ way, right? . . ."

"Boy, you really _are_ naïve."

Ellie glared at him.

"Yannick, stop . . ."

He snorted.

"Why? I have the right to criticize my coworkers . . ."

Robin bit her lip.

"Yannick, we aren't_ just_ coworkers . . ."

He rolled his eyes.

"If you're going to go on some long-winded rant about how we're mortal enemies, then-"

"We're married."

He did a double-take.

"Pardon?"

"We're married," Robin repeated.

Yannick turned to Ellie.

"Is she telling the truth?" he asked with dread.

Ellie crossed her arms and nodded. Yannick raised his eyebrow.

"Was I really drunk or something? . . ."

Ellie glared at him angrily.

"How _dare_ you say that . . ."

He shrugged.

"What? I'm just wondering why I married _Robin_, of all people . . ."

Ellie growled.

"You two are in love . . ." she hissed menacingly.

"I find that hard to believe," he retorted.

"Yannick . . ." Robin whimpered.

"Okay, everyone, stop," Ian said calmly, "We don't want this to get out of hand."

"Listen, _pal_, I have the right to know why I'm supposedly married to a friggin' dinosaur!"

"Yannick, please . . ." Robin sobbed. Sarah walked up to her and put her hand on her shin in solace.

"Don't get all teary-eyed with _me_!" Yannick snarled, "I refuse to be a part of your pity-party!"

"Don't _do_ this, Yannick . . ." Ian said in warning, "Trust me, you do _not _want to lose Robin's trust. Whether you know it or not, you _love _her. Don't throw that away . . ."

"Oh, boo-hoo! It's such a pity . . ." he jeered.

"Shut up, Yannick!" Ellie snarled, "You don't know what you're saying!"

"I know _exactly_ what I'm saying! Why should I listen to you? If I really _do _have amnesia, then maybe it's for the best. I mean, if I'm not able to recall my so-called '_relationship_', maybe there wasn't anything worth remembering in the first place!"

Robin tossed her head in distress. Sarah bit her tongue. Ellie gnashed her teeth in fury, resisting the urge to punch Yannick in the jaw.

"Yannick, you love Robin," Ellie said, still clenching her teeth together, "She has been faithful to you for over two years. You will never find a wife as devoted as she is. Don't be an asshole. You _have_ to do this, for the children, at least . . ."

Yannick's eyes went wide.

"I have _children_?"

"They haven't hatched yet . . ." Robin whispered.

"What?"

"You have eggs, Yannick . . ." Sarah explained, "Three allosaurus eggs, to be exact. They're beautiful . . ."

Yannick grimaced unpleasantly and bit his tongue.

"Oh, god . . . Does that mean I slept with Robin?"

Ian grabbed his arm and dragged him to the door.

"Okay, someone needs to get their head together. We'll be back in a bit . . ."

Yannick began to protest, but Ian dug his fingers into his arm. Ellie, Robin, and Sarah watched as they left. After a long pause, Robin turned to Ellie with tears in her eyes.

"Ellie . . . You said that there's still fluid in that syringe, right? . . ."

Ellie looked at her sadly.

"Robin, you can't change back: you have eggs to take care of. Besides, Yannick won't change his mind just because you're human . . ."

Robin shook her head.

"No, it's not that . . ."

She lumbered over to her eggs dolefully.

"I want to forget . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie stayed with Alan well into the night. She leaned up against his cot with her head in her arms, falling asleep occasionally. Every time she closed her eyes, however, she would have a waking nightmare.

Ellie didn't have to see Lance's body to know that his back was probably arched into a crescent shape by this point. The image of his tightly closed eyes and open mouth haunted Ellie to no end. He hadn't died peacefully: his final pose was an expression of agony.

Crusher shifted in a nearby cot. It was awful to see him so ill, especially now that he was an amputee. He had seemed so strong . . .

And Val? Well, Ellie dared not speak with her. It was her fault, after all, that Val had lost a son, and nearly lost another. Whether or not Val could forgive her was irrelevant: Ellie could never forgive herself.

All in all, Ellie was having a very bad day. She couldn't handle this type of responsibility. Everything had been thrust upon her at once, and she was struggling to grab the frayed ends of what had once been her life. Ellie had thought that the argument in the Visitors' Center was rock-bottom, but things could always, incessantly, and undeniably get _worse_.

And she was pregnant. Very, _very _pregnant.

As the stress of her situation began to overwhelm her, Ellie felt her skin ripple with raptor scales. She was barely in control of the morphing now. It was only a matter of time before she would lose herself to the virus.

Ellie sighed and walked over to a metal table. She placed a hand on each side for support. It didn't help.

Alan's eyes fluttered open.

"Ellie? . . ."

She turned around guiltily.

"What are you doing over there?" he whispered. Ellie smiled sadly and sat down at her regular station.

"I was just stretching my legs . . ."

Alan nodded. It was a constrained movement: his bandages were wrapped very tightly around his neck.

"Ellie, I've been thinking . . . Maybe you should have let-"

Ellie placed her hand over his mouth.

"Don't say that, Alan. Please. I can't let you give up everything for me . . ."

"In theory, you're worth it . . ."

She laughed cryptically.

"In practice, I'm not . . ."

They sat in silence for a very long time. Beside them, Crusher rolled over and sighed. The ever-blinking lights on the computers and control panels lit up the stub of what had once been his leg.

"Ellie . . . This wasn't your fault," Alan affirmed.

Ellie shook her head and placed her cheek in her hand.

"There's something wrong with me, Alan . . ."

He placed his hand on her shoulder.

"There's nothing wrong with you. This is just a rough patch . . ."

"No . . . I've lost sight of everything . . ."

"You haven't . . ."

"I'm not who I used to be . . ."

"No one is . . ."

"I don't even know who I _am _anymore . . ."

Alan sat up in his bed and pulled her close.

"You're Ellie Sattler, and you are amazing. You're compassionate and loving and kind; you're smart and witty and playful; you're honest and loyal and brave . . ."

He turned her head and looked straight into her eyes.

"Most of all, you're humble. You never ask for anything more than you have, even though you deserve it. You take the weight of the world on your shoulders and you blame yourself when things go wrong. But you need to hold on to your courage. It's the only way we'll get through this . . ."

"And what if I choose to run?" Ellie whispered.

"Then I'll be by your side, even if I don't agree with you."

Ellie nodded slowly as tears slid down her cheeks.

"That's all I need to know."

Alan frowned in confusion. When he looked down, his eyes went wide.

"Ellie, no!"

But it was too late: she had already pressed the syringe into her arm.


	41. The Fan

They buried Lance the next morning. It was a good thing that raptors didn't have funerals, or Ellie might have broken down entirely. She wasn't doing so well, especially after the events of the night before. Her friends could sense that something was different about her, but she refused to tell anyone what was really going on. It was strange to finally hear the raptors' voices from a human's perspective. They tended to speak English anyway, so she didn't have to explain her condition to anyone . . . for the time being.

Truth be told, Ellie was both relieved and ashamed. Suppressing the virus was like cutting off an infected limb: she felt better afterwards, but a part of her was clearly missing. She kept to herself as much as she could, as she didn't want to have to admit that she had taken the coward's way out.

As for Wu, he had begun to travel towards the underground lab. Ellie instructed everyone to stay away from him and his consort. The last thing she needed was more blood on her hands.

As the afternoon dragged along, Ellie and Robin sat by the incubating platform, watching the cluster of eggs passively. The door to the lab opened quite suddenly, making both of them jump. After a muffled argument, Yannick was pushed into the room by Alan and Ian. They had dressed him up very nicely, slicking back his hair in a suave manner. He carried a bouquet of goldenrod and dandelions. Ian and Alan slid him across the floor towards Robin. When she looked up, Yannick gave a pained smile.

"Hiiiiiiiii . . ." he drawled, "I brought you flowers . . . honey . . ."

Robin frowned and turned away.

"You don't have to pretend to love me."

"Oh, good. Can I go now?"

As he tried to flee, Alan and Ian flung him around in anger. He protested fervently, but eventually gave up and sat down next to Robin.

"So, these are our eggs, huh? . . ." he chatted, staring at the cracked ovals.

"What's left of them . . ."

Yannick blinked awkwardly and shifted his mouth to one side.

"They're very . . . round . . ."

Suddenly, a piercing wail came from the jungle. Ellie and Robin hopped to their feet and darted out of the building. When they were outside, they heard the ululation again: closer, this time. They gasped as Seriama crunched through the bushes and collapsed in front of the Visitors' Center, writhing around in agony.

'He left me! He _left_ me!'

Ellie turned to Robin.

"What's she saying? . . ."

Robin cocked her head.

"Can't you understand her?"

"I took the cure."

Robin gasped.

"Ellie, no!"

"We'll talk about it later. First, we need to deal with this."

Robin nodded.

"I'll talk to her."

She padded up to Seriama, who lolled her head around dismally.

'What's going on? Why did you come here?'

'Kill me! Just kill me now! I can't bear to live a moment longer . . .'

'What? Why not?' Robin asked brusquely.

'He left me!' she shrilled.

'WHO left you?' Robin stressed with frustration. Seriama sobbed.

'Henry-y-y!' she quavered miserably. Robin rolled her eyes.

'Big surprise . . .'

From across the manmade lake, Val sprinted over and hissed at the weeping barymimus.

'You miserable monster! You maimed my son!' she spat.

'I'm sorry-y-y . . . I didn't- I didn't want to _hurt _anyone . . .'

Val hissed, but Robin held her back.

"Just wait a minute. We need to know what happened."

Seriama gave a quivering sob and lifted her head.

'He . . . He promised that he'd take me through the portal, but he-'

She wailed melancholically. Val rolled her eyes.

'Get on with it!'

Seriama sniffled and wiped her nose with her claw.

'He changed himself back . . . He said that he'd change me as well . . .'

'Can that be done?' Val asked with interest. Seriama shook her head.

'No. He didn't alter the serum to allow that . . . Why?'

'No reason. Where is he now?'

'He's rounding up new franchises. Fiction doesn't contain_ all_ of the franchises from the Overworld. But it will . . .'

"Ellie, Wu's changed back, and he's recruiting characters for his army," Robin summed up. Before Ellie could respond, Seriama howled desperately.

'Please . . . I have no reason to _live_ anymore . . .'

Robin cocked her head.

'Why? Because of Wu? Honey, he's not_ worth_ it!'

Seriama whimpered.

'Haven't _you _ever loved someone so much that you can't live without them?'

Robin sighed.

'Yes. But you have to go on living, nonetheless.'

'But he's the only person I've ever loved . . .' Seriama whispered.

'Yeah, well, we all have stupid dreams, don't we?' Val hissed bitterly, 'It's no use trying to make it work. You'll just end up throwing your life away . . . and for _what_? He probably doesn't even like you, anyway!'

Robin scoffed.

'I think we can safely assume that Wu doesn't like her, _for sure_. Nor anyone, for that matter . . .'

'Hm? Oh, right. Well, good luck with your menial problems . . .' Val spat as she ran down the road.

Seriama continued to lie on her side, rolling back and forth miserably. She was still crying, and had even gone so far as to change her scales to a depressing shade of blue. She was a bit of a Drama Queen, this one. Still, Robin couldn't help but feel a little bit sorry for her.

"You know, Robin, we can't just leave her here . . ." Ellie said neutrally.

"Yeah. I was thinking the same thing."

With a deep sigh, Robin helped Seriama to her feet.

'Come on. Let's get you cleaned up.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

The Majordomo spun around in an office chair as his stereo reached a crescendo. The sound of drums and violins shrilled through the corridor, where Blu was waiting patiently in the middle of the red carpet. Seeing him, the Majordomo beckoned him to come closer.

"Is that Rite of Spring, sir?" Blu ventured.

"Naturally."

"Don't you ever get tired of listening to it?" the bird asked.

"Do you ever get tired of breathing?" the Majordomo replied. Blu cocked his head.

"Was that a threat, or a clever analogy?"

"A little bit of both. Why have you come to see me?"

Blu shrugged.

"I'm just checking up on you."

The Majordomo flicked the pencil that he had been using to conduct an invisible orchestra.

"Now, I _know_ that's not true . . ."

"Really! Nothing's wrong . . ." Blu insisted.

The Majordomo raised his eyebrows.

"You're serious? . . ."

Blu nodded.

"Well . . . Isn't _that_ something . . ." the Majordomo marveled.

"It sure is, sir. Might I suggest that we celebrate?"

"Good idea. It's about time we had some fun. When was our last concert?"

"Two years ago."

"Two years?! That's _outrageous_! We ought to be merrier . . ."

"We've been busy . . ." Blu sighed.

The Majordomo gave him an understanding look.

"I'm sorry for burdening you with so much work lately . . ."

"Oh, that's f- Wait . . . Sir, you-"

"Don't look so surprised. It's about time I apologized. I shouldn't have let those people from Jurassic Park get to me . . ."

"It happens to the best of us . . ." Blu said compassionately.

"Yes, well. I guess I went a bit overboard. I may be an antagonist, but I shouldn't _have _to be a villain. I'm sorry."

Blu smiled.

"Apology accepted. Does this mean you'll be letting more franchises through?"

"Oh, god, no!" the Majordomo cackled, "Lord knows, I don't want to be swamped with What-Ifs, Sequels, and YA adaptations!"

Blu sighed.

"Can't we _at least_ let Harry Potter through? It's a popular franchise . . ."

"Oh, Blu: a YA is a YA. You _know_ they aren't credible."

"Says you . . ."

"It was a stretch to let _you_ in. Don't forget that."

Blu bit his lower beak.

"I know. Thank you."

The Majordomo waved his hand casually.

"Oh, hush. There's no need to thank me for something I did hundreds of years ago . . ."

Suddenly, a brown rabbit bolted into the room.

"Hyzenthlay!" the Majordomo said brightly.

"Majordomo, there are a thousand new characters being introduced to Fiction."

Blu gasped.

"A THOUSAND?"

The Majordomo chuckled.

"Oh, Blu. You really ought to read more books. In lapine terms, a thousand can be any number from five to-"

A purple dragon charged through the door.

"Sir, there are fifty-nine thousand new characters inbound!"

The Majordomo blinked.

"That . . . shouldn't happen."

"I know. It's weird . . ."

A violet feline drifted in, lifting itself with psychic energy.

"Sir, the-"

"Yes, I know, Mewtwo: we're being mobbed by unauthorized ficties. Anything else?"

Mewtwo nodded.

"They're being led by Henry Wu."

The Majordomo did not move.

"Sir? . . ." Blu whispered nervously.

"Where did I put my strangling-rope?"


	42. Magnum Opus

Ellie placed her hands around a warm cup of tea. Everything was turning to shit, and it was only a matter of time before another problem would rear its ugly head. Oh, how Ellie missed the days when she had been nothing more than a paleobotanist. It all seemed so far away now, like another life, even. Why had she ever believed that she could _do_ this? She wasn't a leader, in fact, she was probably the _least_ qualified person for the job. The strange thing was: she had _known _this right from the start, but something had inspired her to go through with it, nonetheless. Maybe she just wanted to believe that she was able to keep things together. Her faith had been enough to carry her for a decent amount of time, but it wasn't enough: she was nothing more than a sham.

Ellie closed her eyes and rubbed her brow. Maybe it was time to quit . . .

"Oh, for the love of god, Ellen! Stop wallowing in self-pity and help your poor mother pack her bags!" Mrs Sattler said from the doorway. Ellie turned around and gave her a murderous glare.

"Mother, you have _no_ idea what I'm going through . . ."

Mrs Sattler snorted.

"Oh, pish! Everyone has problems. What makes _you _so special?"

Ellie exhaled through her nose.

"Nothing. I'm not special."

Oblivious to the meaning of her words, Mrs Sattler rolled her eyes and sat on the table.

"Aren't you going to blame me for letting that chinaman into the lab?"

Ellie jeered.

"Must you be so vulgar?"

"Well, it's_ true_, darling. They're a cruel race, I say . . ."

Ellie pursed her lips in agitation.

"You're very judgmental. One bad apple doesn't make a rotten salad . . ."

"And I suppose you think that you're the expert in nutrition, as well? Have you ever even tried-"

"You said you were leaving? . . ."

Mrs Sattler nodded.

"Yes, dear. I'm going back to civilization."

"To tell the world about your crazy daughter?"

"Oh, don't be silly, dear. I can't start ranting and raving about dinosaurs . . ."

Ellie stood up.

"Alright, Mother. You win. I'm coming back with you."

Mrs Sattler was dumbfounded.

"What about your son?"

"He can morph into a parrot. No one has to know what he really is . . ."

"And your friends?"

"They're better off without me. No one wants me here, anyway."

Mrs Sattler shook her head.

"You're being foolish."

"Am I?" Ellie barked.

"Yes, in point of fact, you are. You assume that nobody trusts you, but the only person who has ever questioned your leadership is YOU."

Ellie frowned.

"People have _died _because of me."

"Only one. Well, two, if you count that traitor you killed. But that's all relative . . ."

"To _what_? I can't let people _die_ for me!"

Mrs Sattler crossed her arms.

"Honestly, Ellen, you're very deluded. First, you say that everyone's against you. Next, you admit that they are willing to lay down their lives to serve your cause. If a person is _that_ devoted to you, don't you think that you're at least _a little_ capable? . . ."

"PEOPLE, ARE, DYING, MOTHER!"

Mrs Sattler tapped her fingers across the inside of her arm.

"Ellen, you'd take a bullet for your son, right?"

"Yes."

"And would it be his fault if you died? . . ."

"No, but this is completely different!"

"What if he got himself into the situation?"

"It's different."

"What if he was doing something really petulant-"

"He wouldn't. And it's still different."

"Is there any situation, any at all, where it would be his fault?"

"NO! But you can't-"

"Make comparisons? Ellen, I can. Even your senile old mother has more faith in you that you do in yourself, and _I_ think you're crazy!"

Ellie frowned in confusion.

"That was . . . _almost_ a compliment . . ."

"Darling, I'm not saying that you're right or wrong. I'm just trying to make you realize that these raptors love you. They don't think you're a failure. Not in the slightest."

Ellie rubbed her eye brusquely.

"Yeah, well . . . they're wrong. I'm no leader."

"Elliekins, you've been repeating that phrase quite regularly, as of late. I think you've even convinced yourself that it's true. But you'll only be a failure if you give up now. Are you really going to let a little rain ruin your picnic?"

Ellie turned her head.

"It's more than a little rain, mother . . ."

"Oh, poor dear!" Mrs Sattler exclaimed sarcastically, "She's a fragile, little flower . . . drowning in a flood! Woe is us! All of the local flora has been _washed away_ by the changing tide! . . ."

"Don't be stupid, Mother: floods can't destroy _everything_."

"They can. Don't you remember back home, during rainy season? There wasn't a single tree that wasn't uprooted."

"Because trees are _big_!" Ellie retorted, "What about all of the clovers and shit? They survived."

"Wrong! They were washed away . . ."

Ellie smirked.

"Mother, have you forgotten who you're talking to? I _know_ plants. Furthermore, I _saw_ the clovers. They clung to bits of earth and settled elsewhere, no problem."

"No, they were uprooted. I distinctly remember-"

"You're mistaken. Clovers don't just flip over like trees: they have flexible roots. Even if they land upside down, they can pull themselves upright. Your analogy is garbage."

Mrs Sattler smiled.

"I don't think so."

Ellie gradually uncrossed her arms.

"Mother . . . are you trying to make a point?"

"Yes. It seems to me, dear, that you are trying very hard to be a tree. You've convinced yourself that your roots are stiff, and you refuse to believe that there is a chance to make things right."

Ellie frowned.

"What if I _don't_ have flexible roots?"

Her mother shrugged.

"Then you'll die."

Ellie nodded.

"So, why should I believe that I'm a clover?"

"Well, you never _bothered_ to find out, did you? In my opinion, a tree who tries to right itself is more credible than a clover who sits on its head and does nothing."

"Wait . . . So, am I the clover, or the tree?"

Mrs Sattler began to walk towards the door.

"What are you asking ME for? You'll have to find out for yourself . . ."

And she left without another word.

***_TSJPFEW_***

"It's not looking good, Majordomo," Simba sighed with regret, "The YAs are invading, and their numbers are great."

The Majordomo stared down at the mob of characters from his perch on the roof. They had started a protest in the Opera Square, and the noise was astounding.

"Shit . . . Is there any chance we can arrange a cease-fire?"

Simba shrugged.

"Are you willing to give them a place in Fiction?"

The Majordomo shook his head.

"No. I can't allow that. If we let them in, it's a slippery slope. We can't let everyone exit the Purgatorium. We have to draw the line _somewhere _. . ."

"But these are valid candidates for canonification. I mean, some of them have _massive_ fanbases."

"You know who _else_ had a massive fanbase? _Attila the Hun_! I'm not about to let a bunch of preteen fangirls sway my opinion. Why don't you find someone with a _credible _fanbase?"

Like a bolt of lightning, Blu soared down from the sky and landed on the roof.

"The YAs have stated their terms. They want canonification, or they'll start a war."

The Majordomo chuckled.

"A war, you say? Is Wu going to be their Napoleon?"

Blu shook his head.

"They've elected one of their own."

The Majordomo turned his head.

"Who?"

Suddenly, an arrow shot past his head, embedding itself in the crook of a statue's elbow.

"Ah."

Below, the crowd began to chant in unison. They bobbed their banners and signs up and down rhythmically as they called out to the Majordomo.

"WE WANT CANONS! WE WANT CANONS! WE WANT CANONS!"

Finally, the Majordomo could take it no more. He flung his arms down to his side and made tight fists.

"E-NOUGH!"

The chanting dissipated as he climbed atop the statue of Apollo to address the masses.

"YAs and otherwise . . . I would like nothing more than to grant each and every one of you a place in our world, but there are rules that forbid this. When Elkay created Fiction, she tried her best to give everyone a place in our world, but your numbers are too great. We had to be selective with our canonification. But we gave you the Purgatorium. Isn't that enough? . . ."

"NO!" came the collective cry of the characters.

The Majordomo winced.

"Okay, fair enough. But consider this: if we bring you here, some of our current characters will disappear. Among you, there must be billions of direct-to-video sequels, trillions of crappy adaptations, and countless works of-"

He gagged a little.

". . . Fanfiction."

The Majordomo shook his head and went on.

"I've seen many a franchise fall to the greed of the Overworldians. They can't just let a story be self-contained: they have to expand it and besmirch it and _ruin_ what so many people loved about the original. Do you_ really_ want to sacrifice the credibility of your franchise for personal gain?"

"YES!" the voices rang.

"Oh . . ."

"Majordomo, may I suggest something?" Blu asked shyly. The Majordomo sighed.

"Go ahead."

Blu cleared his throat.

"Why don't we just let a few characters in? We can appease the masses . . ."

"Haven't you ever seen Miss Saigon? They'll mob us!"

Simba frowned.

"Why is Miss Saigon your frame of reference?"

"Shut up. We need to figure something out."

"Why don't we talk to Wu?" Simba suggested.

"Anyone evil enough to listen to Zebil is irredeemable. He's a villain, a scoundrel, and a fiend. Besides, it makes no tactical sense. I don't want to walk into a trap. I'm no rube."

"Speaking of which, the Dead Like Me movie canon is down there . . ." Blu squawked.

The Majordomo laughed.

"Shit . . . Also, I find it ironic that Rube wasn't actually _in_ the movie."

"Oh, right. I had forgotten about that. _Man_, that was lame . . ." Blu huffed bitterly.

"Mhm. But let's not go off on a tangent. We need to fix this."

"You don't think they'll try to attack Jurassic Park, do you?" Blu asked.

"They might, though I doubt Wu will go back on his own. Honestly, I don't _care_ what happens to those hammerheads."

"You ought to. They might be able to help," Simba pointed out.

"Do you really think they can defeat Wu?"

Simba shrugged.

"It's worth a shot . . ."

"Fine. I'll send them a note," the Majordomo sighed, "Simba, round up some troops, just in case. And for the love of god, please tell the YAs to stop burning our flags!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie rocked a sleeping Charlie back and forth in her arms. It was mid-afternoon, but he had been worried about Alan the night before, and had neglected to get any sleep. Kelly had stayed up with him, and was currently snoring on the big couch in the VC. Ellie lifted Charlie and placed him by her side. It was about time to say farewell to her mother at the dock.

As Ellie walked down the hall, Alan jogged up to her side and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She leaned against him as they marched down the main road.

"Feeling better?" Alan asked.

Ellie raised her eyebrows.

"As a matter of fact, yes. I just needed to look at things a little differently, I guess."

Alan nodded.

"I'm proud of you. It takes courage to overcome all of these obstacles . . ."

Ellie smiled.

"Maybe. But it's courage I don't have. Even so, I'll keep trying to make things right. No one can tell the difference, anyway . . ."

They passed Morton and Penelope on the road. The two herrerasaurs called out to Ellie in their own language, much to her chagrin. She waved awkwardly and started walking a little more briskly.

When they reached the gallimimus-populated plains, Ellie rubbed the back of her neck.

"I don't know how we're going to get a ride. I can't talk to them anymore."

"That's alright. I'll try."

Alan stepped forward and got the attention of a large male. He cleared his throat and squawked in a shrill pitch. The gallimimus seemed a little confused, but got the gist of his message. He knelt to the ground and let them hop on his back.

"That was impressive," Ellie remarked as they sped across the field, "I didn't know you could speak galli . . ."

"Only a little. I pick it up, here and there," Alan said nonchalantly, "I'm not half as good as y- Well, I'm not very good, anyway."

Ellie pursed her lips.

"Did I really sound like that?"

Alan shrugged.

"Well, your dialect was a lot better than mine . . ."

Ellie laughed, then sighed with regret.

"It's too bad I can't understand them anymore," she reflected, "It was so _easy_ when I had the virus . . ."

"You'll just have to learn it from scratch. I can teach you a few key phrases . . ."

"Like what?"

He gurgled and growled.

"What does THAT mean?" Ellie asked.

"It means 'I love you'. I think."

"Wait, do you _think _that's what it means, or do you _think_ you love me?" Ellie asked playfully.

'AWK! Eeeeeerrr!' the gallimimus shrilled.

"What did he say?" Ellie asked.

"He either said we're almost here, or he wants a beer."

"I'd believe either one."

As they arrived at the dock, they dismounted the galli and bid him farewell. He whispered something to Alan as he left. Ellie didn't bother asking what he had said.

"Are you glad that your mother is leaving?" Alan asked as they strolled down the pier.

"Yes and no," Ellie sighed, "She was definitely a handful, but I really needed someone to call me out on my bullshit."

"Oh, Ellie. Don't worry about all of that. You're wonderful . . ."

"You sure?"

"Positive," he said as he rubbed up against her side, "No matter what you are, I'll always be here for you. You can count on me."

Ellie smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I know."

They stood in the center of the dock with their foreheads touching. After a moment, Mrs Sattler stepped onto the deck of her boat and called them over.

"Ellen, dear, come down to the lower level. I have something for you."

Ellie followed her mother down the cabin steps. The light from a circular porthole shone on a rectangular box, which Mrs Sattler picked up and handed to Ellie.  
>"I asked the storeowner what kind of picture to look for, and he said a Charles R. Knight would do. It's a thousand-piecer, not too difficult. We'll have to see if Charlie has inherited any of your talent."<p>

Ellie smiled and gave her mother a big hug. When they separated, Mrs Sattler wiped her eyes and adjusted her spectacles.

"You're a clover, dear. Don't forget it. Go home and make your mother proud . . ."

_BAM!_

Ellie jumped as a blue bird crashed against the window. After sliding down the glass, he flapped over to the deck. Ellie bolted up the stairs. The bird collapsed on the ground dizzily as she ran over to help. Alan joined Ellie and her mother in a huddle around him. The bird held out a sealed scroll that had been tied to his leg.

"Message from the Majordomo . . ." he squawked as he went unconscious. Ellie grabbed the note and began to read out loud.

"Dear JPeeps, I regret to inform you that you have f-"

Ellie blinked.

"-that you have _screwed _up once again. Wu has turned the franchises of the Purgatorium against me, and is planning to raid the Opera. If he finds The Star, we are basically f-"

Ellie frowned.

"-we are basically _screwed_. We can't let him hand over The Star to Zebil, as Zebil is the f-"

Ellie growled.

"-the _fricking_ Lord of Darkness. Unless you want evil to reign, I strongly suggest that you find a way to stop Wu. I have no control over him, as he has crossed several dimensions, so you'll have to find someone who can either dissuade him or obliterate him entirely. _Cordialement votre_,_ The Phantom of the Opera_."

"Is that all?" Alan asked. Ellie frowned sardonically.

"Nope. There's another line."

"What does it say?"

"P.S. You're all f- . . . dimwits."

Alan rubbed his chin.

"Well, that's comforting. What are we supposed to do?"

Ellie twitched.

"Ask Robin."

"What? Why?" Alan asked with confusion.

"Why, what?" Ellie replied.

"Why do you think we should ask Robin?"

"I don't think we should."

"But you just said . . ."

"Ask Robin."

"Exactly!"

"Exactly, what?"

Alan frowned with frustration.

"Ask Robin!" he echoed.

Ellie shrugged.

"Alright, we'll ask her, but I don't know why you think it's such a good idea . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

They found Robin in the lab, of course. She was still watching over her eggs with Yannick, though he seemed apathetic, at best. Ellie would have been furious with him, but she had more important things to worry about.

"Robin, is there a way to control Wu?"

"Are you asking in an esoteric way or literally?"

"Literally. Is it possible to stop him?"

Robin shrugged.

"I'm sure it is. But why bother trying? It's all pointless, anyway . . ."

Ellie shook her head.

"We _have_ to try. Alan and I have agreed that, if there _is_ a way to fix this, we're going to go for it. Ian and Sarah are also in."

"But you have KIDS to take care of! My god, Ellie, you're pregnant!" Robin stated. Ellie placed her hand on Robin's arm.

"I know. But if Wu succeeds, he'll kill us all, no matter what."

"Good point. I'd like to help you, but I'm fresh out of motivation," Robin sighed.

Ellie gave Yannick a cruel glare. He stopped playing with a robotic arm and looked up.

"What? . . ." he asked obliviously.

"Look, Robin, we need your help . . ." Ellie pleaded, "You've gotten us out of weird dimensional problems before, and I believe you can do it again."

Robin pouted.

"I'll just screw something up . . . I _always_ screw things up . . ."

"No, Robin, you really don't," Ellie insisted, "When it's a matter of life or death, you always pull us through . . ."

"You're just being nice."

Ellie tilted her head.

"Robin . . ."

"Have we figured something out?" Ian asked as he strolled through the door with Sarah by his side.

"No, Robin's not feeling up to it . . ." Ellie sighed.

"Aw, why not?" Sarah asked sadly.

"Because I'm in the depths of despair . . ." Robin moaned. Yannick rolled his eyes.

"She's very dramatic, isn't she?"

"Shut up, Yannick . . ." Ellie said threateningly.

"Why does everyone keep telling me to _shut up_?" he spat, "I've done _nothing_ wrong! I don't want to spend the rest of my life with a _crazy person_ . . ."

And with that, Ellie marched over and punched him. Hard.

Robin stood up quickly and helped Yannick to his feet.

"Ellie, I know you're trying to be supportive, but could you NOT punch my husband?" Robin shrieked.

"He had it coming. Anyway, we'd better get going. If we can't find a way to defeat Wu, we'll just have to resort to old-fashioned ass-kicking. C'mon."

"Uh, Ellie . . . We might want to wait a couple of minutes," Ian said, pointing to one of Robin's eggs. Ellie's eyes went wide.

"Oh my god . . ."

The egg was wiggling back and forth lightly. Robin gasped loudly as she dashed over and leaned in over the platform. It began to shake and wobble a little harder, until a minuscule fracture appeared near the top. A tiny, yellow nose sniffed through the hole. Robin pressed her snout against it lovingly. As the hole grew bigger, Yannick slid over with curiosity. Robin nudged the egg closer to him. He looked at it shyly.

"It's okay. They're yours, too . . ." Robin said.

They watched as a red crest appeared from the eggshell. The baby gurgled as it rolled onto its side. It kicked its legs and slid out of the egg, spilling red slime everywhere. Robin smiled as her baby looked up at her.

"It's a girl . . ." Ellie announced.

The baby allosaur rolled onto her stomach and began to shiver.

"Do you think she's cold?" Yannick asked, "She's trembling like a leaf!"

Robin leaned in and licked the excess goop off of her baby. The dinosaur squeaked and shoved her tiny arms into Robin's nostrils. Using her lip as a stepping stone, the baby climbed up her face and tucked herself into Robin's crest.

"Aw . . ." Sarah gushed.

"Look! Another one!" Alan said brightly.

Sure enough, a second egg had begun to teeter back and forth. The baby poked a hole in the shell, just like the first one. This time, however, it retreated into the depths of the chamber. Before anyone could wonder what was going on, the baby rammed its head through the wall, violently shattering the egg. It stumbled as it was set free, landing on its back with a small grunt.

Yannick giggled.

"Okay, that was _a little_ cute . . ."

'Grrrawr!' the hatchling gurgled.

Ellie smiled.

"Another girl."

The baby climbed up onto Robin's head to join her sister. They snuggled next to each other like ducklings, closing their eyes and falling asleep.

The group turned to the third egg expectantly. It didn't move, however. This egg was, in fact, the most cracked, and wasn't looking too healthy. They stared at it for a few minutes, then gave up.

"I guess two isn't bad . . ." Robin sighed. Yannick looked up at her sadly.

"It . . . It might just be late," Ellie said uneasily, "They wouldn't normally hatch at the same time . . ."

"Yeah, but these ones grew fast," Robin reminded her, "They aren't normal eggs . . ."

Yannick grazed the egg pensively. He tapped it a little, then removed his hand. As he did so, however, the egg gave a small twitch. Thinking he had imagined it, he turned away. But it bounced again.

"Yes! Oh, this is terrific!" Robin cheered.

From the already-splintered shell, a tiny nose prodded a small, white shard. There was a small hiccup, then a pause. Robin bit her lip. The baby squeaked from inside and tried to break through again. It didn't succeed.

"Is it . . . Is it having trouble? . . ." Yannick wondered.

The baby began to squeal unhappily inside the egg. It would try to pierce the shell every so often, but it didn't seem to be strong enough.

"Can we help it?" Yannick asked. Ellie bit her lip.

"I don't know. It might be a bad idea . . ."

"Well, we can't just leave it in there!" Robin shrilled, "What if the baby doesn't make it? . . ."

Yannick held his hand near the shell. The nose reappeared by the opening. After sniffing around a little, it bit down gently on Yannick's index finger. It wasn't strong enough to hurt, but it was enough to allow him to tug it through the shell. With the help of its father, the third baby staggered out of the egg, collapsing in the fluffy hay. It whimpered as it lay on its side, kicking the air pathetically. One of its legs was horribly misshapen, and didn't look serviceable in the slightest. Nevertheless, it felt the warmth of the people around the table, and tried to drag itself forward. It hadn't yet opened its eyes, and struggled to sniff out its target. Stumbling forwards, it nearly fell over the edge of the table. Yannick caught it, however, and held it in his arms. It squeaked and opened its eyes.

"Oh, Yanni!" Robin gushed, "She has your eyes . . . It _is _a girl, right? . . ."

Ellie nodded.

"You have three daughters."

Robin laughed happily and nuzzled her other two children, who had climbed down from her head. They squeaked happily and batted at her snout with tiny claws. Yannick smiled as he watched them.

"So, what are you gonna call them?" Ian asked.

"Oh! I hadn't thought about that! . . ." Robin said pensively, "Well, I'm naming one after Ellie, for sure . . ."

Ellie's jaw dropped.

"What? Oh, Robin, don't do_ that_. I don't deserve-"

"You're my best friend, Ellie. I_ insist_ that I name a baby after you. The gimpy one, at least."

Yannick frowned defensively and pulled the crippled baby away from Robin. She rolled her eyes and snorted.

"But, Robin, don't you think it will get confusing?" Ellie asked, "We can't have TWO Ellies wandering around . . . Again . . ."

Robin rubbed her chin.

"Good point. Maybe we can do a variation, like Ellen or Hellen . . ."

Yannick slammed his palm against the table in a stroke of genius.

"Nellie!" he gasped, "Oh, Robin, it's perfect! You have three daughters, just like in Charlotte's Web. Joy, Aranea, and Nellie!"

Robin blinked.

"How did you know-"

"I read it a while back- quite a while back, I guess- so that I could use a quote against you if you ever started to cause trouble at work. I never found one . . ."

Nellie squeaked as one of her sisters tugged on her tail. Yannick pushed them apart gently. Robin bit her lip.

"Yannick . . ." Robin sighed, "You don't have to tell them that you're their father, if it makes you feel uncomfortable. They won't know the difference."

Yannick shook his head.

"I can't let you be a single parent. You need my help, if you want to raise them properly. You can't do it alone."

Robin nodded remorsefully.

"I don't want you to feel like I'm forcing you into anything . . ."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Robin! I got you pregnant, so I _at least_ owe you the courtesy of helping you get through this . . ."

He hugged her snout. It was an awkward gesture, but it was a start. They watched their sleeping babies and sighed.

"You know, when you hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up," Ian said with semi-faux sincerity.

"Yeah. I guess you're right," Yannick chuckled, "What was that expression, again? Fall down seven times, stand up eight . . ."

Robin blinked. She pulled her head up slightly.

"Yanni, say that again."

"Fall down seven times, stand up eight? . . ." he repeated uncertainly.

"Of _course_!" Robin beamed, standing up tall.

She plucked her children off of the table and placed them on her back.

"Come on, everyone! We're going to the underground lab!"

***_TSJPFEW_***

When they arrived at the main room, Robin immediately separated herself from the group and turned on the interdimensional machine. Ellie tried to object, but Robin refused to listen. She bent over a keyboard and began to type furiously. Her children swayed back and forth cheerfully on her head.

"Yannick's little saying got me thinking; what if we've been going about this the wrong way? Instead of trying to beat Wu with minimal firepower, why don't we find someone who's capable of defeating him?"

"You mean Elkay, the deity?" Ellie asked.

"Pffft! Heavens, no! I don't think I could find a super-deity, if I tried!" Robin babbled, "But we'll have to get the next best thing. Tell me, Ellie, what lies beyond Fiction?"

"The Overworld."

"Yes, and _who_ lives in the Overworld?"

"People?" Ellie squeaked doubtfully.

"Creative people. People who can write stories any way they want," Robin declared.

"So, what _exactly _are we planning?" Ellie asked with apprehension.

Robin smiled coyly.

"It's just like Yannick said: it's time to fall down!"

Ellie frowned.

"Robin, falling down is generally not a _good _thing . . ."

"In theory, yes. But in Overworld terms, it's easier to drop than to climb."

Wait a minute . . .

"What are you saying?" Ellie asked.

"We need to make something drop."

You're not . . .

"Something drop?" Ellie echoed.

You're _really_ not . . .

"Some_one_ drop!"

I swear, if you put ONE FINGER on that panel, I'll personally tear you to shre-

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

***_TSJPFEW_***

"-AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: the narrator!"

"She's not as tall as I imagined . . ."

"And _you're_ not as funny as you believe. Christ, I think I broke something . . ."

"This feels odd . . ."

"No shit! There's no narration!"

"Why- . . . Ooooooh . . ."

"Yeah, that's right: I can't narrate while I'm inside this pathetic, insignificant universe!"

"But you can stop Wu, right?"

"Ha! I'd be lucky if I could stop a ladybug, in this state! Why can't you just leave me alone? . . ."

"But you're the narrator! Shouldn't you be able to write us a Deus Ex Machina or something? . . ."

"Nnnope. Now that I'm _in_ the story, I'm a _character_. As in, someone who has no metaphysical power over the chronicling of our adventures."

"So, you're saying . . ."

"That you are all morons, yes."

"Outstanding."


	43. Pion

As it just so happens, there is a loophole to this whole narration thing. When you're a character, it is possible to tell the story from first person. So, I'll do exactly that.

Of course, I'm not a big fan of these candy-stealing troglodytes, but it was cool, I admit, to finally see them in person. They asked me, of course, how much control I had over their story. Truth is, I'm not exactly omnipotent. I can't control the characters completely, nor can I do whatever I want with the narrative. It's more complicated than that. If you've ever written a novel, you know that characters don't always follow your instructions. Sometimes, shit happens, and you have no control over it. For example, I was just as surprised as you were when Lance died. That wasn't supposed to happen. I guess one could say that I'm a pretty shitty last resort, and I'll happily agree with that. But I didn't ask to be sent here.

Many a person would be grateful for this experience, I suppose, but I'm too cynical to appreciate my circumstances. You know that feeling, when you want something _real _bad, and you wait for years and years to get it, and you end up with Jurassic Park /? Yeah, it's kind of like _that_.

Anyway, I hate to be a killjoy, but I'd say that it's about time to go home. The characters can't send me back, as I broke their machine during my fall, so I'll have to find an alternative. I didn't bring my phone for nothing, after all.

'Ju-Ju?'

'Yes?'

'I'm a little surprised that I'm getting reception from here. Anyway, I need your help.'

'With?'

'Something important.'

'K.'

'Find the nearest water fountain. Tell me what it says.'

'K. In a while.'

'Now?'

'Oasis?'

'Wrong one. Try again.'

'Elkay.'

'Perfect. Is there anything special about it?'

'No.'

'Even better. Turn the knob on the side.'

'This doesn't sound legal.'

'Do it.'

'It's flooding.'

'Leave it at a drip.'

'No.'

'Please.'

'I'm going to go ahead and ignore you now.'

'NO!'

Well, THAT didn't go as planned. At the very least, it ate up some of the word count. This chapter is still kind of short, though . . .

How about this: why don't I tell you a little story?

In French.

Why? Because I'm in a bad mood, and I feel like making you suffer. Don't bother using the internet to translate the manuscript; it's formulated in such a way that you won't get a straight answer, even if you try. I hope you were paying attention in linguistics class . . .

Here we go.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Il était une fois, dans le monde magique d'Asterpara, un dragon jaune qui gouvernait le Surmonde de son domaine fantastique. Comme son mentor avant lui, elle est devenue seigneur d'Asterpara, car elle a pu vaincre le verrat rouge, Xyphon. Avec le pouvoir de L'Étoile, la relique qui était créatrice de tous, elle a engendré le Surmonde pour l'homme. Sous ce monde, il y avait le monde de Fiction, et plus bas, la Purgatorium.

Un jour, le dragon se promenait dans un univers de Fiction. Perchée sur le mât d'un navire majestueux, elle glissait ses ailes autour des nuages, qui l'embrassaient délicatement.

'Salut, ma belle,' ronronna une voix profonde et sinistre.

'Salut, Zebil. T'es en retard, tu sais,' répondit le dragon.

Le tigre bleu qui rôdait autour de la barre chiquenaudait sa queue en agitation.

'Ça dépend. Sur l'échelle chronologique du Surmonde-'

'Pas d'excuses: c'est un rendez-vous très prestigieuse, compris?'

'Eh, bien! T'es trop dramatique. Ça ne peut pas être si urgent que _ça_ . . .'

'Je t'assure qu'il est _bien _urgent. Mon Majordome n'est pas capable de gouverner Fiction. Il est trop chétif.'

'Chétif? Lui? Jamais.'

'Chétif d'esprit, je veux dire. Il est faible.'

La mer tournait doucement sous le bateau. L'eau semblait ridée . . . comme un visage ancien. Avec un soupire malheureux, le dragon s'est pivoté sur le mât.

'Ça veut dire quoi, d'être un dieu?' elle a demandé théoriquement.

'Est-ce que c'est une énigme? Je refuse de répondre, car il n'y a pas de solution.'

Elle a tenté de lui secouer délicatement.

'Ben, non. La solution, c'est désagréable. Je dois faire disparaitre son meilleur ami avec la magie. Il doit apprendre que c'est inutile de se fixer sur un seul aspect de la vie.'

Le tigre a rigolé.

'Oh, ça explique beaucoup! Donc, on est ici pour faire exactement ça?'

'Non, pas encore. Je dois attendre, d'abord.'

Le tigre s'élongeait sur le bord du navire. Parce qu'il était bleu, ses rayures mêlaient avec l'océan. Il a soupiré très doucement, puis il a tourné.

'Ce n'est pas une tache agréable, mais si c'est ce qu'il faut faire, allons-y.'

'Bien. Quand la marée est haute, le ciel assombri, et le temps tordu, je vais retourner. Le sang de nos progénitures fictives va couler loin.'

'C'est bien poétique! Les griffes: tachées de sang, les gorges: rouges comme les rubis . . .'

'Gorges . . . rouges? Rouge-gorge. Intéressant . . .'

Le dragon a déployé ses ailes.

'Au revoir, Zebil, j'ai beaucoup de choses à faire.'

'Comment ça?' le tigre a demandé timidement.

'Je dois me préoccuper de ces affaires dans la clandestinité, donc je ne vais pas retourner bientôt.'

'Où vas-tu?'

Le dragon lui a jeté un clin d'œil.

'Le Surmonde, naturellement. C'est le monde des mondes. Des . . . mondes. Desmond. Je ne manque pas d'inspiration aujourd'hui, je trouve.'

Le dragon volait au-dessus de la mer quand elle a décidé de retourner pour une salutation finale.

'Adieu, Zebil, mon ami fidèle. J'espère que notre réunion sera une bataille pour les chroniques! Le Majordome va trouver son destin, je le garantis.'

'Et s'il ne réussit pas?'

Le dragon ricana. Sur le pont de _La Estrella_, le tigre recula en peur.

'S'il ne réussit pas, la Fiction sera oblitérée.'

***_TSJPFEW_***

And that is why destiny is cruel to those who dare to love.


	44. Mountain or Fountain

As the narrator tapped her strange little device, Ellie tried to repair the interdimensional machine. The crescents kept falling apart, however, sending white-hot sparks flying every which way. The gang had left to deal with other issues, so there was no one around to assist her. Well, except for the narrator, of course, but they were getting nowhere with her. Ellie sat down with a deep sigh. She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. The narrator looked up quite suddenly, her fingers hovering over the screen in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Ellie asked.

"We're back in the third person . . ." the narrator said with suspicion.

"Is that normal?"

"No . . . Not at all. I'd normally say that it has something to do with my iPad, but that doesn't account for the last chapter . . ."

Ellie ignored her incomprehensible comment and spun around in her chair.

"So, why didn't you stop us from pulling you down?"

The narrator shrugged.

"I couldn't. Simple as that."

Ellie nodded.

"How much control did you have over us?"

"I already told you. It's limited."

"How limited?"

"Well, I can't make you go out of character, except in very rare cases. I don't have the power to control your actions, either. But I can predict certain events that have not yet occurred."

"Psychic abilities?" Ellie ventured.

"Not really. I just know certain things that you don't. It's a girl, by the way."

Ellie looked down.

"Right . . . Are you allowed to tell me anything about the future?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know . . . something useful?" Ellie suggested.

The narrator pursed her lips.

"There's always a bigger fish."

"Is that a prophecy?"

"Well, it's vague, proverbial, and useless until you're in the right context, so I guess you could call it that. What's another word for 'sly'?"

"I don't know . . . crafty? Why are you asking me, anyway? Aren't you supposed to know everything?" Ellie asked craftily.

"I was making a point."

"I don't understand-"

"Not for you. For someone else."

"Who?"

"Could be anybody, at any given time. Don't try to think about it. It doesn't concern you."

Ellie frowned.

"The more I think about this, the more I start to question your truthfulness. You contradict yourself quite often."

The narrator raised her eyebrow.

"Example?"

"Well, if you know what's going to happen, why weren't you expecting the drop?"

The narrator exhaled.

"I don't know _everything_ . . ."

"So, you didn't know that you would drop?"

The narrator smiled deviously.

"I never said that."

Ellie frowned.

"You're being vague."

"I know."

"You're just like my spirit pteranodon. She would never give me a straight answer . . ."

"Synonym for indignant?"

"Resentful."

"Right. I feel obligated to point out that I do, in fact, know what you're trying to call me out on."

"Oh, do you?" Ellie asked resentfully.

"Yep. We both know that your spirit pteranodon was male. You're trying to get me to admit that I was behind it."

"Were you?"

The narrator paused thoughtfully before answering.

"Yes. I set that up. But don't tell anyone."

"Does that mean you sent me through the portal to see the other Ellie?"

"Yes. I did many things."

"Why?"

"Why not?" the narrator said lightly.

"You've put me through some really serious shit!" Ellie spat. The narrator shrugged.

"Certain things need to happen in a narrative. Before you can enter the third act, you need to reach your lowest point."

Ellie stood up furiously and pushed her chair to the side.

"Is that all this is? Some kind of game?"

The narrator nodded.

"Pretty much. Synonym for-"

"Enough!" Ellie bellowed, "You have no right to treat this like a joke!"

"I have every right. I'm the narrator."

"Not anymore! You're nothing but a character," Ellie growled.

"Everyone's a character. What's your point?"

"You can't just make us suffer like this! It's cruel . . ."

The narrator nodded.

"I know. And I'm sorry. But you must remember that I also trigger good events."

"Right!" Ellie sneered, "And when are _those_ going to show up?"

The narrator rubbed her chin.

"The denouement, mostly. We're in the third act right now, by the way."

"Third act?" Ellie echoed with sarcasm.

"Yeah, when the characters begin to fight back, so to speak. It's generally a lot more cheerful than the second act-"

"Cheerful?!" Ellie hissed, "I see nothing cheerful about this!"

The narrator chuckled.

"Well, you've already endured your lowest point, so there's that . . ."

Ellie crossed her arms.

"Are you saying that nothing bad is going to happen from this point on?"

"Not at all. While your character arc is nearing its ultimate turning point, the outside world is about to take a significant plunge."

"When?"

"Now."

Robin burst through the door.

"Ellie, we have a problem. The YA army has been spying on us."

Alan and Ian dragged a woman through the door. She looked very much like Ellie.

"She tried to fool us into thinking that she was you," Alan growled angrily, "She's working for Wu."

The woman whimpered.

"Please, I was just following orders!"

"You're not helping your situation . . ." Ian muttered.

"Have mercy! I needed to escape the Purgatorium. My daughter has cancer . . ."

"Save your sob-story!" Robin hissed, "Tell us where to find Wu!"

The woman shook her head.

"He'll kill me . . ."

The narrator stood up calmly.

"Let me speak with her. I think I know how to convince her that this is the best route to take."

Reluctantly, Alan and Ian let her go. The narrator shepherded her to the supply closet.

"So, what do you make of this?" Ian asked, "Can we trust her?"

Ellie shook her head.

"Definitely not. Something's not right here . . ."

"You think? We just captured someone who looks _exactly _like you!" Ian huffed.

"She doesn't . . ." Alan said defensively, "She's older. Plus, she has different mannerisms."

The narrator strolled out of the supply closet with a quasi-smug stride. The woman still looked nervous, but to a lesser degree.

"She says that Wu is in the Purgatorium. He's waiting for the YAs to storm the Opera Populaire- Wait, is it still called that? Didn't they change it to Palais Garnier? I don't know about you guys, but when I think 'Garnier', I think 'shampoo'. Anyway, Wu's trying to find The Star."

"The ultimate power, you mean?" Ellie asked, "What happens when he finds it?"

"He hands it to Zebil and we all die."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, though. There's no way he'll find it," the narrator said smugly, "Phantom's hidden it well. Of course, the _first_ place they'll look is inside the chandelier. It makes sense: the whole thing is a big, glowing light. But it's not hidden there. See, Elkay was like the sun: a star in its own respect, but Phantom? . . . He's an avenue for her. And who, pray tell, is the sun god?"

Ian brightened up.

"It's-"

"Shut up. I'm trying to be dramatic," the narrator said tersely.

Ian frowned and crossed his arms. The narrator nodded.

"It's Apollo," she stated, "And _who_ is Apollo's messenger?"

Ian slouched deeper and pouted.

"Pythia!" the narrator declared, "So, by that logic, the star is hidden in front of the statue of Pythia which, I think you'll find, I have mentioned before."

Ellie frowned.

"You never-"

"Oh, not to _you_."

Alan and Ian glanced at each other.

"I think she's crazy . . ." Ian said discreetly.

The narrator frowned and crossed her arms.

"So, let me get this straight . . ." Alan began, "As long as The Star is kept safe, nothing bad will happen."

The narrator nodded.

"Yarp. Ex-aka-tully!"

"Great!" Ellie cheered, "That means that the Majordomo won't give us so much flack . . ."

"Actually, no," the narrator hummed.

"Yeah, you're right," Ellie sighed, "He hates us, regardless."

The narrator giggled.

"He does, but that's not what I meant. See, Wu is going to find The Star-"

"You said he couldn't!" Alan barked. The narrator raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, but that was _before _I mentioned where it was. On that note, Frannie escaped while we were exposition-ing. She's going to find Wu."

Sure enough, their prisoner was no longer in the room. Ellie screamed in fury and pinned the narrator to the wall.

"Traitor! You _knew _this would happen!"

"Did I?" the narrator chirped, "It must have slipped my mind. Maybe I'm just dazed from hunger. Isn't that right, Ian?"

Ian stepped forward menacingly.

"Seriously? You haven't gotten over that yet?"

The narrator clucked.

"You're _pathetic_!" Ellie hissed, "Would you really risk the safety of the universe because of a chocolate bar?"

The narrator jeered.

"Obviously, you've never tried Aero . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

As the narrator stumbled out of the underground lab with a black eye, the gang huddled in a corner to decide what to do. Because the narrator could hear none of this, she was forced to guess at what they were saying. It wasn't hard: she had been putting words into their mouths for a very long time. She soon grew tired of this, however, and settled on plucking the petals off of a nearby flower whilst reciting beautiful gibberish. 

"Of Jay and Robin, Teal and Wren

A story begins, and begins again

A novel? No. A poem, less.

More of a childish, artsy mess

And yet, the passion can be seen

In every shade of red-blue-green

An author, if that word is right

Is toiling in the hours of night

To finish lines of jest and quip

A single tear, from eye to lip

A tear, a tear, no less the same

Than any other word or name

One indicates the wounds of yore

The other, droplet, even more

A child born in December's frost

A cause is found, a love is lost

Or was it even really there?

From sapphire eyes to golden hair

It took eight years to separate

Yet through the hurt and pain and hate

The child was happy, more or less

With life: a childish, artsy mess

Though even at a younger age

An image of a gilded cage

For what can one expect to learn

If not allowed to dream or yearn?

The want for something vast and grand

Would guide a sharp, far-reaching hand

The power of a scholar throne

See If IS and play alone

But next, a slate as clean as ice

New name, new look, it felt so nice

And yet, the spark of aspen fire

Again enflamed the ancient pyre

For ne'er a greater threat to see

Than vulgar creativity

Of course, the harm was less than real

But silenced was the girl's appeal

A father gone, no mentor found

And nine times was another crowned

Two loves, just two, for mortal men

Both ended, never seen again

No need to whine or throw a fit

The love is gone, the WIC-K unlit

But then, like angels from on high

A light descended from the sky

A home is found, a grudge is lost

All pretense, out the window, tossed

For Uni, once a prefix vile

No longer Form, and wears a smile

The Universe, it seems to me

Is shown in University

And here I am: I'm not a lie

To think that long ago I'd die

O'er silly things like love and hate

But now a twist of luck or fate

Has brought me to a novel land

The verse is vast, the scope is grand

For I just needed to be me

Perhaps cliché, as You can See

And toiling in the hours of night

No one to hate, no one to fight

With grinding teeth and tight-set jaw

I write about the sickled claw

Am I the work, or just the foil?

The answer, in a serpent's coil

And yet, a simple query feared

By I, the author, most revered

A single word destroys it all

A letter, too: the mental wall

Don't ask me why I chose to write

A mess of art, the dark of night

Because I fear I can't reply

Perhaps I can, and that is why . . .

My secrets? I would not admit

For now, at least, until I quit

And is my smile a masquerade?

Beneath my grin, am I afraid?

I fear myself, and others less

And why I wrote this artsy mess

Of Jay and Robin, Teal and Wren

My story begins, and begins again

Do I not learn? Do I deny?

Perhaps I never really try

And so, inspired by words of yore

I write, and make the story more

A novel? No. But novel? Yes.

More of a childish, artsy mess

Are my words mine, or do I scribe?

Am I unique? I get that vibe!

And through the love and hate and pain-"

"We've made a decision," Ellie announced.

The narrator propped herself up on her elbow and sighed. The gang stared at her as she rubbed a grass stain out of her sweatpants.

"Are you voting me off of the island?"

"No. We're going to let you stay," Ellie sighed, "You got the woman to talk-"

"To sing. You ought to say 'sing' instead of 'talk'. It's kind of mafiaesque, and besides, it's more fluid, phrase-wise."

"Don't make things worse for yourself . . ."

"Il va chanter, il va chanter! Oh, qu'il me manque . . ."

They watched as the narrator began to roll around and giggle. It was almost like dilo-drunkeness, only she hadn't been afflicted by any venom, as far as they knew.

"I don't think she'll be much help from now on . . ." Ian said as the narrator began to chew on her fist.

"What should we do?" Alan asked timidly.

"Ginkgo Biloba!" the narrator shrieked, "You ought to find some, Ellie! It will help . . ."

"What's she talking about?" Ian asked.

"Plants . . ." Ellie said with confusion.

"The water isn't running! It isn't running! Le pont s'écroule . . ."

"We'd better get her what she wants before she starts singing 'Frère Jaques'!" Ian joked.

They left the narrator writhing in the field, victim to some undiagnosable insanity. She continued to ball her hands into fists around clumps of grass. With dilated pupils, she sang and wailed like a lonesome ghost.

"Where are you going

O tiny thrush

Didn't I tell you

Not to rush

Never hurry and never worry

How many children did you bury?"


	45. Into Battle

As Ellie, Alan, and Ian trudged through the jungle, they sent a plethora of butterflies spinning through the air. It was a sight to behold, but it made hiking a lot more difficult. Ian coughed as a particularly spirited butterfly flew into his mouth.

"Gak! Are you _sure _we should be finding this mysterious plant?" he choked. Ellie shrugged with a sigh.

"It's a tree, Ian, and it's hardly mysterious. Ginkgo Biloba leaves are an alternative to Ritalin, so she might just be joking. In any case, we have nothing better to do . . ."

"Except our work!" Alan huffed, "Not that _that's_ an issue, considering the universe could implode at any minute . . ."

"You know, I really hate our narrator . . . Like, a lot." Ian said bitterly.

"Agreed. You should hear her pen name!" Ellie laughed, "She has a swollen ego, if I've ever seen one!"

Ian raised his eyebrows.

"Worse than me?"

"Worse than you."

They pushed through the foliage and found themselves in a small clearing. Yellow sunlight beamed down from the canopy, dappling the ground with a gentle glow. The butterflies had scattered, so the only movement in the clearing was the barely-perceptible shifting of the vines. Golden dust particles hovered through the air, floating gently in a suspended state as they flecked the scene with their reflected luminosity. In the center of the glade, a small Ginkgo Biloba tree swayed gently in the breeze.

"That's convenient . . ." Ian remarked.

Ellie stepped forward with trepidation. She reached out slowly and ran her hand over the shrub with confusion.

"This shouldn't _be_ here . . ." she remarked, "Something tells me that we're experiencing some sort of external influence . . ."

Ellie thought she saw something shifting in the bushes ahead of her. The navy-shadowed figure was soon gone, however, and Ellie thought it best to focus on the task at hand. Plucking a few leaves from the bush, she turned to her friends.

"This should be enough."

"Do you think it will help?" Ian asked.

"I don't know," Ellie sighed, "There are a lot of things I don't know . . ."

Ian rolled his eyes.

"Don't go all hippie-dippie on us, now!" he snorted.

Ellie watched as a falcon soared through the sky.

"I'm just feeling a little ethereal, I guess . . ."

"Perfect!" the narrator yapped as she jumped out of the bushes, "That's a _wonderful _vocabulary word! Why didn't I think of it sooner?"

Ellie whipped around and frowned.

"You've been _following _us?"

The narrator nodded.

"Yup. I figured it would be worth my while to observe your mannerisms without interfering. Plus, I wanted to let you come here on your own."

"You_ told_ us to come here . . ." Ellie jeered.

"I guess so. But you decided to help me, so . . ."

Ellie dropped the ginkgo leaves.

"You probably don't need these, right? Was this just a test?"

The narrator shook her head.

"It's not a test, but I figured you needed to end up in this clearing _somehow_."

Ellie raised her eyebrow.

"Why?"

With a bright flash, the Majordomo fizzled into existence, singeing the dry grass with his interdimensional energy. As the ginkgo bush caught fire, the narrator pointed to it and grinned.

"Ha! Intertextuality!"

Ellie ignored her and turned to the Majordomo.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"They found The Star . . ." the Majordomo coughed, "Wu is bringing it to Zebil . . ."

"Oh, no!" Ellie shrieked, "We're done for!"

The Majordomo nodded.

"Yeah . . . I guess we are. But I thought that maybe you'd join me in a futile effort to intercept him."

Ellie blinked.

"You seem awfully nonchalant about this . . ."

"Yes, well . . . it doesn't really matter, does it? We're all done for, as you so eloquently put it."

"But we can try to stop him, right?" Alan asked. The Majordomo grunted.

"Try, yes. But we will fail. Also, I hate you. A lot. Just thought I'd mention . . ."

"Alright, guys, it's time for the climax!" the narrator said with determination, "Is everyone ready for an epic battle?"

The Majordomo rolled his eyes.

"Let me guess: you brought down the narrator?"

Ellie nodded.

"You're all morons . . ." the Majordomo drawled.

"That's what_ I_ said!" the narrator chirped.

"Alright then," the Majordomo huffed, "We'll have your stupid fight. But we won't win."

"Not with _that_ attitude!" the narrator laughed. The Majordomo frowned at her angrily.

"I find your satirical optimism quite annoying. What makes you think that we can win this?"

The narrator shrugged.

"What makes you think we _can't_? Don't answer. You're too depressing."

Ian clapped his hands.

"Alright, should I go get Sarah?" he asked. The narrator nodded.

"You'd better get Robin and Yannick, as well."

Ian frowned.

"Why?"

"Because they deserve more screentime."

The Majordomo rolled his eyes.

"It's nice to know that _someone_ has her priorities straight."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robin and Yannick were fast asleep when the gang met up with them. They had been absolutely worn down by their efforts to keep their children from getting into trouble, and had collapsed by the northern lake. Yannick was draped across Robin's back with Nellie hugging his leg and Aranea headbutting his shoulder. Joy slid down Robin's tail repeatedly with glee. It was a wonder that both parents were able to sleep through all of this, but they were really _that_ tired.

The narrator clucked her tongue and bopped Robin on the nose.

"Wake up, ya lugs! It's _WAR TIME_!"

Robin snorted and opened her eyes in a staggered sequence.

"Now? . . ."

"Yes, _now_! Up and at 'em. You too, Ilnyckyj!"

"Oh, is _that_ how you say it?" Robin drawled.

Yannick moaned and rolled over. In doing so, he slid off of Robin's spine and landed painfully on his back. His children squeaked and ran over to assist him, but he shooed them away.

"Did you say we had to go to WAR? I don't think I'm up to it," he yawned.

"Why not?" Robin asked naïvely.

"Yannick was a draft-dodger," the narrator stated matter-of-factly. Yannick's jaw dropped.

"How did you-"

"Why does everyone keep asking me questions?" the narrator spat, "Just trust that I know what I'm doing: it's much easier."

Ian snuffed.

"I'm starting to seriously question your leadership skills."

The narrator jeered.

"I'm starting to seriously question your SHUT UP!"

"Yeah, that's mature . . ." Ian said with a frown.

"Guys, guys: stop fighting!" Sarah interjected, "We're wasting precious time! If we don't hurry, we'll never catch up to Wu . . ."

"We'll never do it, anyway!" the Majordomo declared, "Unless you suddenly develop super-speed, he'll be miles ahead of us before we can even pinpoint his precise position!"

"Ha! Alliteration!" the narrator honked.

Ellie sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Ideally, I would be able to morph into a raptor to chase him down. But I need to level with you guys: I took the cure."

Everyone but Alan, Robin, and the narrator gasped. Ellie looked away in shame.

"I wish I had seen the tactical advantages of the virus before curing myself. I let my emotions get the best of me . . ."

"It's not your fault . . ." Alan said gently, "There's no way you could have known. Besides, you wouldn't have wanted to use the virus as a weapon. It seems like-"

"-something Wu would do?" Ellie guessed, "Yeah, I know. I just wish that there was some other way to outrun him . . ."

"Well, is there anything faster than a raptor?" the Majordomo asked. Ellie shook her head.

"No . . . No, there isn't."

The narrator strutted forward slowly.

"Well, there is _one_ thing . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Ellie laid herself flat on her pteranodon as she prepared for a dive. Behind her, the narrator screamed and held on for dear life.

"I immediately regret this decisiooooooooon!"

They sliced through the air like a leathery blade. Banking left, the pteranodon became perpendicular to the horizon. As it righted itself, Ellie circled her friends like a marshal.

"Alright, everyone! This is it: the big fight! Does anyone have something to say before we go?"

"PEE-PEE-TSOO!" Robin cheered from her tangle of balloons. The two pteranodons who were aiding her flight rolled their eyes.

"Okay, it looks like we're ready to fly!" Ellie declared.

As they prepared to leave, however, a white circle tore across the sky. From it, a giant mechanical bird soared into their world. The woman that Ellie had met during her fictional conference was riding on its back.

"Majordomo! Wu has fled to Drumheller!" she shouted.

"Which canon?" the Majordomo asked.

"None! He's in the Overworld!"

The Majordomo's eyes went wide.

"No . . ."

"What's the matter?" Ellie asked, "Aren't we able to follow him?"

The Majordomo winced.

"_You_ can. But I think I'll sit this one out . . ."

The woman on the bird pulled back in surprise.

"But, Majordomo . . . We _need_ you!"

The Majordomo sighed.

"I think it's time to be honest with you, Liz . . . I have a sequel."

She gasped.

"Oh, god! But how-"

"I know: musicals don't get sequels. But _I_ did. I'm too popular for my own good. If I try to set foot in the Overworld, I'll disappear."

The woman stared at him with tears in her eyes.

"No . . . It _can't_ be. Is it, at least, a _good_ sequel? . . ."

Behind Ellie, the narrator began to laugh like a hyena. The Majordomo stared at her bitterly, then turned his pteranodon in the other direction.

"I'm sorry. I'd like to help, but I can't risk it . . ."

The woman steered her bird to cut him off. Hovering in front of him, she sneered angrily.

"Damn you . . . _Damn you_ for letting us get this far, only to abandon us in our time of need!"

The Majordomo scowled.

"Hey, I didn't ask for _any_ of this! I'm no leader . . ."

The narrator turned to Ellie. Her frown had dissolved into an expression of sympathy, and she promptly steered her pteranodon down to speak with the Majordomo.

"Look, I know you're scared," she said softly, "but without your help, we will fail. You're perfectly capable of leading us, even if you can't see it. Trust me. Please."

The Majordomo considered this, but sighed in defeat.

"I can't trust you."

Ellie bit her lip.

"You don't have to hold this grudge-"

"It's not _about_ that!" the Majordomo hissed, "How can I trust you, when I can't trust _anyone_? Everything is ephemeral. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop things from vanishing! I had to watch my best friend disappear, all the while telling him that it would be okay, that I'd _save_ him . . . But he's gone. There's nothing I can do to change that . . ."

Ellie stared at the Majordomo with commiseration. Behind her, the narrator closed her eyes. Finally, they turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Majordomo . . ." Ellie sighed, "I hope that, someday, you can find it in your heart to forgive yourself."

Ellie led the gang through the white portal, leaving the Majordomo hovering above the clouds. He watched them leave with a somber mien. As the tear closed, the Majordomo landed on a cliff and climbed down from his pteranodon. He opened a gateway to another world, but paused at the threshold. The light of Paris shimmered in front of him, familiar and unchanging. It was home, but for how much longer? It wouldn't be long before it all crumbled into nothingness, would it? But that was unavoidable.

Everything has to die, eventually.

Even hope.

***_TSJPFEW_***

As they soared across the Overworld sky, Ellie and her gang were joined by more and more characters. One by one, they rose above the ocherous clouds, ready for battle. There were creatures of every shape and size, and humans, too. From a black, newt-like dragon to a silver, green-haired man who flew in the light of the setting sun, there was not a single individual who showed any sign of hesitance.

As a squad of armored owls dipped under an airship, Ellie turned to their new friend and her robotic bird.

"Are they here to fight?" she asked. The woman nodded.

"Yes. We must defend our homeland."

"Let them _try_ and stop us!" a polar bear in rust-colored armor roared from the ship.

"Shouldn't we monologue about this first?" a man in a bat costume asked.

"Oh, hush! You've been no fun, ever since Nolan got a hold of you . . ." a fluffy, white luckdragon boomed.

Ellie turned back to the front of the procession.

"Do you have a strategic combat plan?" she asked the woman.

"No. I'm not the leader of this army."

"Well, who_ is_?" Ellie asked. The woman shrugged.

"Well, since the Majodomo is gone . . . I guess it's YOU."


	46. Drumheller High Water

Soaring over a plethora of crudely-painted plaster dinosaurs and quaint gift shops, the fictional army saw no sign of the YAs. The streets were completely empty, and there was no movement, whatsoever. The silence was so menacing that it caused many characters to hold their breath subconsciously. Ellie soared in a spiral to scout the area.

"It's very quiet . . ."

"Ha! It's a small town, hon; there's not much activity, even in the daytime," the narrator sassed from the rear section of the saddle. Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Does it not _bother_ you that your world is in danger?" she grumbled. The narrator shook her head.

"Naw, it's not that great of a world, anyway. And I _do_ love me a good battle. Especially since this is where it all began . . ."

The narrator closed her eyes and remained silent for a very long time. Finally, she sighed pensively.

"Do you consider Wu a villain?" she asked.

"Of course," Ellie replied.

"What about Hammond?" the narrator wondered.

"No, I don't consider him a villain."

"Why not?"

Ellie shrugged.

"He wanted to bring joy to others. His dream wasn't entirely based on greed, even if it ended up turning sour. He had good intentions, not that that matters when the shit hits the fan . . ."

"So, a person's motivation determines how they are remembered?" the narrator summed up.

"Not always. But in this case, yes. Both Wu and Hammond wanted power, but when a man decides he can control nature, he's in deep trouble. Life can't be contained."

The narrator nodded.

"I think you're right. But things get out of hand . . ."

Ellie grunted noncommittally.

"You know, I used to come here a lot when I was a kid," the narrator sighed, "I absolutely adored dinosaurs, even more than most children. It was strange: I never really bothered to learn the science behind prehistoric life. I knew the dinosaurs by spirit, and that was enough. I guess you could interpret that as an early sign of my gravitation towards the arts."

Ellie scanned the horizon, paying little attention to the narrator.

"Have you ever woken up one day and realized that you've been living in someone else's shadow? It's frightening: I'll tell you that much! The worst part is: nobody really knows what I'm doing. I'm altering someone's artistic vision for my own selfish reasons, and there's no one who can stop me. They have no reason to challenge my work, of course, since I don't even make a blip on their radar . . . Is any of this making sense?"

"Sure," Ellie said distantly. The narrator sighed.

"Anyway, I guess I'm just having an existential crisis. I wish I could be more than just a tweaker, you know? Why can't I produce original work? Must I always rely on the ideas of those who are more talented than myself?"

"Can you maybe be quiet for a minute?" Ellie asked, "I'm trying to concentrate."

The narrator turned away solemnly. She gazed at a crumbling stegosaurus that stood outside of a small establishment called "Reptile World".

"You know, that thing used to be painted brown, but they hired college students to-"

"I don't really care," Ellie said tersely. The narrator pursed her lips and frowned.

"You know, I'm trying to share my fee- AH!"

An arrow sliced across her right leg, leaving a deep gash just above the side of her knee. Below, a teenage girl with a long braid lowered her bow.

"Give up, fictional characters! We outnumber you, a million to one!" she shouted.

"Oh, _yeah_?" the narrator shouted, "Then where-"

She didn't have to wait for an answer. On the ridge of the valley walls, trillions of specks crawled over the horizon. The narrator watched them with dilated pupils.

"Th-th-th-that's a lot of f-f-f-fictional characters-s-s-s!" she stuttered psychotically.

With a muffled cry, the characters began to charge down from the hills. Wading across the river, they rampaged through the streets of the small town, alerting everyone to their presence. As the locals began to open their windows in confusion, the fictional characters sent a hail of projectiles their way, forcing them to retreat into hiding.

"Hey, random question: once we're done here, can you drop me off at the _Sizzling House_? They have the _best_ soup . . ." the narrator chatted.

Ellie banked left and addressed her troops.

"Alright, everyone! We're about to have a war of cataclysmic proportions! I'm not really a general, so just do whatever it is you usually do . . ."

The crowd cheered and flew into battle. Ellie rounded up Alan, Ian, Sarah, Robin, and Yannick to form a separate team. Like some sort of crazy jet squad, they soared past fictional characters, pecking them as they went.

A boy in a robe ran into Reptile World with a hammer.

"Don't let him break the glass!" a blue hedgehog shrilled, "He speaks parseltongue!"

The boy came out with a dozen snakes in tow. The characters shrieked and retreated.

"Snakes . . . Why'd it have to be snakes?" a man hummed as he ran down the streets.

"Can't we just settle this in lasertag?" the narrator suggested, "There's this great joint-"

"Shut up!" Ellie hissed as she dove down. The pteranodon screamed and grabbed the boy by the shoulders. Ellie let him drop in the river, where he sputtered and coughed. Two humanoid creatures tied him up.

"Gandalf! Call the eagles!" one of them shouted. A wizard with a long, white beard shook his head.

"They are neutral in the affairs of-"

"Shut up, beardie!" a rugged man huffed, "Ain't nobody gonna mess with an eagle."

The narrator snapped her fingers.

"You're Sawyer, right? _Awesome_! . . ."

"Gandalf! The eagles!" the short creature repeated.

"Very well. Marahute, _fly_!"

A great golden eagle plunged down from the sky, snatching several sparkling people in its talons. Just when things were looking up, a giant worm burst from the ground and swallowed it whole. Ellie wheeled around on her pteranodon as they were caught in its wake. A naked, blue, radioactive man lifted his finger and disintegrated the creature. Ellie gave the man a quick nod as he prepared to attack once more. A group of cats soon enveloped him, however, and he fell to the ground in a tornado of fur and claws.

"Did I just see Dr. Manhattan get torn to shreds by friggin' Warrior Cats?" the narrator babbled, "They must be OP . . ."

A man in a hockey mask whipped out his chainsaw and slashed at a cloaked figure, who blocked his attack with a red lightsaber. They sent a shower of sparks flying.

Over on the animated side of the battle, a fat bear and a deer with one antler were trying to punch Blu, who dodged them nervously. Just when it seemed as though he was out of their reach, two wolves with stylish haircuts snapped him up, shaking him brutally in their jaws.

"Those effers stopped me from seeing Guardians of Ga'Hoole in theaters!" the narrator growled.

Before Ellie could stop her, she turned to the wolves and cupped her hands around her mouth.

"Hey, losers! Your movie suuuuuuuuucks!"

While they were distracted, a man in a slick, red suit punched them into oblivion.

"That was INCREDIBLE!" the narrator gushed. Ellie rolled her eyes and steered her pteranodon towards Robin.

"Do you think you can handle a little combat?" she asked.

Robin grinned and stretched out her claws.

"Without a doubt!" she clucked. On her back, Yannick smiled and nodded at Ellie.

"I'm going too."

"Suit yourself . . ." Ellie said with a shrug.

The pteranodons that had been carrying Robin fell back as Yannick sliced her balloon strings with a pocketknife. Once they were free, the two of them launched themselves into the center of the battle, where they slashed and punched (respectively) at their enemies. Ellie hadn't seen a couple this in-sync since-

"Team Rocket!" the narrator chirped as a cat-shaped hot air balloon drifted down Main Street.

"Prepare for trouble!" a woman said.

"And make it double!" a man replied.

"To save Overworld from certain doom!"

"And to narrate in a nom-de-plume!" the narrator cackled.

Their rhyme-fest was interrupted, however, when the balloon was charged by three snorting cows, who sent the duo flying into the sky with a light _ping_. The heifers climbed out of the wreckage and tossed their heads angrily at a group of Disney characters.

"Ignore us, will you? Pretend we never existed . . . WILL YOU?!" a cow roared.

"Home on the Range just wasn't that _good _. . ." Simba said defensively.

The cows reared their heads in fury, but were set on fire by Godzilla.

'AAAAAAAAAEEEAAAAAAAAA!'

"Can't we all just love each other?" a purple dinosaur asked. He was soon crushed by a giant marshmallow man, however, who in turn was knocked over when batman and superman crashed into his side.

"Man of Steel sucked!" Batman hissed.

"What are you _doing_?" Superman shrieked as he changed into a man wearing a bandit hat, "I'm on _your_ side!"

"Superman is a spy!" the narrator announced. Ellie whipped around and cuffed her head.

"Stop making sardonic remarks! We're going in!"

They flitted between Dracula and Frankenstein's monster in order to reach a large brawl near the Sizzling House. A group of Marvel superheroes were trying to fend off a giant, robotic spider. Ellie's pteranodon pecked at the mechanical beast. It squealed and made a grab for her, but an angel, a pink sphere, and an elf with a green hat knocked it on its side. They smashed through its iron limbs like it was made of rice paper. A liquid, metallic cop dragged the remaining pieces into the river.

While a man in a long, black coat dodged bullets on the roof of a fire station, several people with light blue rings in their eyes began to attack Ellie's squad. Ian and Sarah broke off to fight them. Just when things were looking bleak, a Vulcan man grabbed the enemies' shoulders and threw them to the ground. He turned to leave, but a man with a chainsaw-arm punched through his upper body. The killer continued to slash through Ellie's ficties, brutally hacking off their limbs like he was carving a turkey.

"Ellie, I have an idea!" Alan called. His pteranodon locked talons with hers as they dove down towards the man.

"What are you doing?" Ellie shouted.

"Nothing. Just a bit of _fancy flying_ . . ." he said as he flung Ellie upside-down. In mid-loop, she was able to grab the chainsaw man and push him into a store window. A woman in red attire finished him off. The narrator giggled.

"_There_ in the world is-"

She ducked as Ellie reached out to cuff her again.

They glided over a makeshift barricade, where a group of french students were singing battle songs. As they tailed a man riding a futuristic, orange motorcycle, Ellie looked around in confusion.

"I don't see Wu anywhere . . ." she remarked.

The narrator squinted and turned around.

"Me neither. I doubt he'd put himself in the center of the battle. It's not his style."

They veered to the right as a man in a cowboy hat shot at them. The narrator shrieked in surprise.

"Hey! It's Rick Jones! Oh, wait! I mean, Rick Grimes. What is it with 'Ricks'? . . ."

"Skadoosh!" a panda huffed as he sent the man flying with a belly-bump. Ellie gave him a quick wave and flew up to meet the rest of her squad.

"Ellie, that gray owl says that he saw Wu heading into the hills," Alan called as he flew by.

"The Royal Tyrrell Museum!" the narrator shouted, "Of course! He'll be meeting Zebil there, I bet!"

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Ian asked rhetorically, "Let's ride!"

Ellie, Alan, Ian, and Sarah followed the narrator's directions as she pointed them in the right direction. The caterwauling of countless characters became muted as they distanced themselves from the battlefield.

Ellie looked over her shoulder.

"Do you think we should have brought Robin and Yannick?" she asked.

The narrator, who had been picking at her nails, turned in surprise.

"Are you asking ME?" she gaped. Ellie nodded.

"You seem to know what's going on."

The narrator smiled suavely.

"Well, isn't _that _something . . . Yeah, I'd say they're better off back there."

"Isn't it _dangerous_?" Sarah asked.

The narrator flipped her hand dismissively.

"Nah, they'll be _fine_ . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Robin and Yannick were definitely _not_ fine. They had been cornered outside of a mining museum, and it seemed as though this fight wasn't going to end well. Yannick stood boldly by Robin's leg, fending off anyone who got too close.

"Oh, Yannick! What are we going to do?" Robin wailed, "Our children are waiting for us back home . . . What if we never return?"

Yannick kicked away a hissing cat.

"Don't worry, Robin: I won't let anything happen to you. We're in this together."

Robin looked down at him with bright eyes.

"Do you really mean that?"

Yannick gave her a sad smile.

"Robin, I've been kind of a jerk lately, and I don't know if I'll ever live that down. I was so focused on what was normal that I couldn't let myself believe that I would end up with someone like you. But you're marvelous, Robin. You're attractive, bold, bubbly, caring, charming, cheerful, confident, creative, dynamic, energetic, friendly, funny, generous, gentle, honest, imaginative, kind, lively, loyal, optimistic, outgoing, perky, persistent, positive, pretty, proactive, quirky, romantic, sincere, sweet, thoughtful, upbeat, warm, witty, and humble. I'm sorry I didn't see that sooner."

Yannick wiped away a tear from Robin's cheek.

"If I'm going to die today, I'm glad that I at least got to spend my last few moments with you. I love you, Robin . . ."

Without warning, he put his hands on each side of her snout and yanked her forward. He seemed quite intent on chewing her face off. Their attackers retched as they watched the couple's passionate osculation.

"Oh, god! I did _not_ need to see that . . ." a man with rake-fingers gagged. Even the tall, slender creature with no face seemed like he was going to puke, despite having no visible mouth.

As the creatures closed in, Robin and Yannick shared a sad hug. They braced themselves for a messy end, but suddenly, a light pink figure dashed over and tackled the monsters to the ground. He bucked and squealed, giving the enemy a collection of black eyes and stubbed toes. As the hostiles retreated, a small pig dug his hoof into the ground with defiance. On his snout, a barely-visible spider waved up at Robin.

"Salutations!"

Robin's jaw dropped.

"Holy mother of hell . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

As they dismounted the pteranodons in the museum parking lot, the gang turned to the narrator for directions. She scanned the premises like a secret agent.

"Alright, guys, he's most definitely in the museum. I know this place like the back of my hand, so I'll go first. It's pretty linear, anyway, but there's no harm in being cautious. I doubt that Zebil's arrived, since we're still breathing . . ."

"And what happens when he _does _come?" Ian asked.

The narrator shivered.

"Let's not wait to find out . . ."

"We're wasting time," Ellie said tersely, "We'd better head on in."

They opened the front door (which was unlocked, thankfully) and jogged through the main vestibule. As they snaked through a Cretaceous-themed room, the narrator chuckled lightly.

"You know, they moved the globe that used to be in here," she recalled, "I guess it was too reminiscent of the Universal logo."

A loud roar made everyone flinch. As they looked around, however, it became clear that there was no immediate threat. The noise had come from a speaker, and was probably meant to compliment the fiberglass dinosaurs.

The gang trotted past several activity booths, weaving between them in search of some sign of life. The narrator skipped into a room with rubber balls scattered across the floor. She picked one up and put it into a flower-shaped machine. The ball shot out of a tube, obviously due to pneumatic pressure.

"Nothing here. Wanna try the hall of carnivores?" she offered.

They moved through a dimly-lit corridor, pausing occasionally as the shadows of sharp-toothed fossils made frightening shapes against the wall. Ian tapped on the leg of a T-Rex pensively.

"Are you _sure_ Wu's here?" he asked the narrator.

"I can feel it in my bones," she replied as she rattled a struthiomimus comedically.

As they climbed a long ramp, the narrator turned the corner and stared at the upper half of a mammoth skeleton, which was part of a display on the lower level. Smilodon fossils had been posed in an attacking gesture, their jaws tightly fastened in a menacing roar. One of the cats was leaping off of a rocky cliff with its arms spread wide. The mammoth looked frightened, even as a fossil.

"Alright. It's Burgess Shale time," the narrator announced.

They stepped lightly over a glass floor, which separated them from a Cambrian tableau. Still, they found nothing. They continued to search the exhibits in this matter, until they came to a wide hallway.

"Alright, guys, the Cretaceous Garden branches off a bit from the main area," the narrator explained, "I'll go check it out for a second. You guys should head for the big room."

As the narrator pushed through a glass door, the gang trotted into a beautiful hall, which was ridden with fossils of every kind. Ian craned his neck to examine the head of a tall brachiosaur.

"Is this a brontosaurus?" he asked.

"Ian, we've been THROUGH this!" Sarah growled, "There is no such thing as a brontosaurus . . ."

"Yeah, that's what you said about goblins, but how do you explain missing socks?"

They pattered down the hallway some more, until Ian hopped into the display. He leaned on an allosaurus fossil and grinned.

"_This_ one looks familiar, no?"

Before the gang could scold him, the narrator peeked around the corner.

"Hey, guys. I have a joke. Knock, knock."

"Who's there?" Alan huffed grumpily.

"Wu."

"Wu, who?" Sarah asked.

"Woohoo! I just found something!"

They looked at each other, then followed her down the hall. As they entered the Cretaceous Garden, Ellie gaped at all of the beautiful plants. In her distraction, she slipped on the wet path. Alan helped her regain her balance. She shook her head and focused on the narrator. Because the lights were turned off, she had to guide them down the trail slowly.

"I was wondering why we hadn't been ambushed," she said casually, "so I decided to provoke some sort of attack by splitting up."

"I can't decide whether that's noble or idiotic . . ." Ian hummed as Ellie leaned on him for support.

"Anyway, I was surprised by what I found. Turns out, we won't have to have our mano-a-mano fight with Wu, after all!" she chirped as Ellie slid by.

"Why not?" Alan asked.

"Because someone did it _for_ us . . ."

Only then did Ellie notice that she had been slipping on blood.


	47. Zebil

Ellie searched the Cretaceous Garden with fear, expecting to find a bloody mess of a man cradled somewhere in the foliage. What she found, however, was a bloody mess of a spinosaurus. It was hard to see much of anything in the dark, but what little there was to observe by the faint luster of starlight was nothing short of horrifying. Wu was missing a good chunk of his snout, and his front teeth had been knocked out quite brutally. A trickle of blood was pouring down the bottom of his face, turning the garden's pond bright red. The side of his mouth showed exposed teeth where his lip should have been, and his jaw was all but shattered. It was hard to tell whether he still had eyes, as they were oozing with fluid. There were red striations across his neck and side, and one of his legs was absolutely mangled. His tail looked like a ragged coathanger that had been twisted beyond recognition. Most disturbingly, his sail was snapped in several places, leaving a graph-shaped surface, ending in torn flesh and exposed bone.

Ellie thought she might throw up. She was surprised to see that, even with all of these injuries, the faintest hint of a breath came from Wu's throat. He moved his jaw slowly and painfully, trying to get the attention of the people around him. As he opened his muzzle, Ellie saw that his tongue was split at the front in a messy gash. He wheezed and rumbled, sending more blood through the corner of his mouth.

"Is he trying to speak?" Ellie wondered, "I can't understand him, now that I'm cured . . ."

"Damn it! We should have brought Robin!" Alan growled, giving the narrator a quick glare.

Wu took in a raspy breath.

"Can . . . speak," he choked.

Ellie pulled herself over the edge of the exhibit to hear him better. It was clearly safe to sit next to him, as he was hardly able to lift his head, never mind attack.

"Wu, what happened?" she asked tersely, "Who did this to you?"

"Ellie? . . ."

"Yes, it's me. Tell me who did this to you."

"Z- Zebil . . ." Wu rasped, "Changed me back . . . Took Star . . ."

"Oh, god . . ." the narrator whispered.

"He . . . waits . . . for you . . . in town," Wu continued, "Wants . . . to challenge you . . . to fight."

Ellie's eyes went wide. If Zebil could do THIS to a spinosaurus, what chance did _she_ have?

"He s-said . . . he'll give . . . fair terms . . ."

Wu broke into a fit of feeble coughing. Ellie stood up and turned to her friends.

"There's no other way. We're damned if we do, and damned if we don't. We may as well try . . ."

Ellie turned to leave, but Wu reached out and blocked her path.

"Wait . . . Important . . . Listen . . ."

With a sigh, Ellie pivoted so that they were face-to-face. She was sure that Wu couldn't see her, but he lifted his head so that he was pointed in her general direction.

"Sorry."

He froze, waiting for a response. He received none. Ellie frowned deeply. Giving up, Wu laid his head on the ground once more and continued to breathe laboriously.

"C'mon, guys. We'd better go . . ." Ellie said flatly.

They filed out of the garden one by one, leaving the injured dinosaur on his deathbed. The crash of the closing door was deafening, echoing through the hall like the slamming of a coffin's lid. Once the sound of their footsteps had faded away, there was nothing but silence.

Wu watched the stars as they twinkled dimly through the rear window. There was a time when he would have given anything to be in control of those stars. Now, they seemed distant, insignificant, and unfeeling. They gave no warmth and hardly any light.

Consumed by anguish, Wu came to a startling realization: more than anything, he wished that someone could have cared about him enough to stay behind.

***_TSJPFEW_***

As they dashed into the parking lot, the gang was surprised to find that their pteranodons were missing. Stranger still, they had been replaced by a single jeep, which was parked in the center of the clearing.

"I'm guessing _that's_ our ride," Ian mumbled.

They piled into the jeep with caution. The narrator placed herself in the driver's seat before anyone could object. She turned the key in the ignition and smiled.

"You know, I don't have a driver's license . . ."

"Aren't you, like, eighteen?" Ian huffed.

"Yup. I was a little late on my learner's. Don't worry, though: I'm better than Robin."

"Yes, but decapitated gorillas are better than Robin . . ." Alan stressed.

The narrator laughed and stepped on the gas.

"You know, there's an ancient Overworld proverb that states 'Elaphe guttatus'."

"What does it mean?" Ellie asked.

"Hell if I know. I just made it up."

And they sped across the dusty road.

***_TSJPFEW_***

When they arrived on Main Street, the gang found that, aside from a few shattered windows and crumpled streetlamps, there was no sign of a battle. They hadn't been gone for too long, so it was very strange that both armies had vacated the premises. The frigid wind was the only audible sound (aside from the motor of the jeep, of course) and it whistled eerily through the town like a ghostly ambiance. More troubling was the slowly-rotating vortex of terror that lingered over the valley.

The narrator stared at the sky with a tight-set jaw.

"I'll bet you any money that that's where we're headed . . ."

The storm was, in fact, centered around a magnificent structure. Reaching approximately eighty-two feet in height, the World's Largest Dinosaur stood nobly at the edge of the town square. The shadow of the twisting cloud was slowly spreading across the field, enveloping parking lots, fountains, and buildings. When it reached the gang's jeep, Ellie shivered. There was something unnatural about the tenebris.

Lit by the occasional flash of lightning, the titanic dinosaur snapped menacingly against the amethyst sky. As Ellie scanned the statue, she shivered. There, standing calmly on the head, was a blue tiger.

"Welcome . . ." the feline boomed from atop his saurian throne, "I take it you've come to challenge me to a battle? Very well. I accept."

Ellie gulped and stepped forward.

"Is there any chance you could give us The Star?" she asked timidly.

The tiger raised his eyebrow, then laughed.

"Oh, you're _too_ funny. You may try to take your precious relic, but I won't give it up without a fight. Not to worry: I'll give you a fair chance."

"What are your terms?" Alan asked.

"Simply this . . ." the tiger replied breezily, "Keep The Star out of my grasp, and I'll let you have it, no strings attached. I'll grant you your pteranodons, of course. You may use them, as you see fit. Survive this task for five minutes, and The Star is yours . . ."

Ellie frowned.

"There's a catch, isn't there? . . ."

The tiger shrugged.

"Well, I _am_ The Lord of Darkness . . ."

"Is there an alternative to this?" Alan asked.

The tiger rubbed his chin.

"Why, yes, now that you mention it . . ."

Ellie and Alan exchanged a look. His proposal sounded awfully sinister . . .

"If one of you chooses to face me in a one-on-one duel, I'll let you have The Star, whether you win or lose."

Ellie bit her lip.

"And the person who fights you-"

"Will almost certainly die, yes."

Ellie turned to her group.

"I guess this means that one of us will have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good . . ."

"Nose game!" the narrator yelped, placing her index finger on her nose.

"We can't let anyone die!" Sarah said sternly, "We've come too far to give in to a hopeless situation."

"If we work together, we might be able to defeat him . . ." Alan added, "Unless someone wants to be a martyr . . ."

Ian snapped his fingers.

"You know, one of us just might be qualified for the job. I mean, if she's really as prophetic as she claims to be, the na-"

He turned around, but the narrator was already halfway down the block. She fled with a cowardly gait, kicking her legs out in front of her like limp noodles.

"I guess not . . ." Ian sighed.

"Alright guys, I guess that settles it," Ellie said solemnly, "We'll play a little game of keep-away to appease our feline friend. Whether we win or lose, I want you guys to know that you've been very good friends, even when things got rough. I know I can count on you, and you can always count on me. Let's not forget what we're fighting for . . ."

On the dinosaur's snout, the tiger flicked his tail back and forth.

"Have you made your decision?" he rumbled.

"Yes," Ellie shouted, "We accept your offer. Today, we fight for Nublar, Fiction, and The Overworld!"

The tiger smiled.

"Very well. Let the games begin . . ."


	48. The Power Of Teamwork

As she lowered herself onto her pteranodon, Ellie thought about all of the things that could go wrong. Zebil would outrun them, no doubt, as his strides were wider than most buildings and his body was sleek and aerodynamic. He could probably jump too, which would put them at a severe disadvantage. He didn't look like he could fly, at least, so there was that. Being a supernatural creature, however, there was no guarantee. Zebil would probably be able to reach them with his paws, even if they flew high. He might prove himself to be quite inescapable.

In any case, they could simply juggle The Star back and forth between them, in the hopes that, however unlikely their chances for survival were, they could at least delay the end of the world for a few minutes.

"Ellie . . . Do you remember what it was like to be normal?" Alan asked as he hoisted himself up onto a pteranodon of his own. Ellie gave him a weak smile.

"Do you not consider playing keep-away with a giant, blue tiger to be normal?" she laughed halfheartedly.

"No, I guess not . . ." Alan replied.

Ellie flipped her hair over her shoulder casually.

"I do remember what it was like to be normal, but it all seems so trivial now . . ."

"Yeah, that's how I feel, too. Way back when, I never would have guessed that the world was so BIG . . ."

"And yet, so insignificant," Ellie said with a sad smile, "We used to be run-of-the-mill paleontologists, and now, we're fighting for the entire universe. I feel like a flea who's been asked to wrestle a dog!"

Alan smiled.

"Well, if there's one flea who can pull it off, it's _you_."

Ellie shook her head with a light smile.

"You give me too much credit. I know I've said it before, but this time, it's really true," she sighed, "Still, I guess we have a fair chance . . . unless Zebil cheats, of course, which he probably will. I don't think we can trust the Lord of Darkness . . ."

After a brief pause, Ellie continued.

"I'll bet you'd rather be digging up fossils in Montana, right?"

Alan shook his head.

"Actually, no. Back then, all we had to worry about was how much funding we'd receive-"

"And you're saying that you wouldn't rather have problems like _that_?" Ellie laughed.

"That's one way of looking at it," Alan chuckled, "You know, I don't think I'd get along with the 'me' of six years ago . . ."

Ellie tilted her head.

"Why not?"

"Because he'd be ignorant, uninformed, and deeply concerned with the most menial of affairs . . ."

Ellie nodded.

"I see where you're coming from. Now that you mention it, I don't think I'd go back, either. What we created on Nublar was well worth the struggle, in my opinion. I doubt we could have found a better family anywhere else in the world . . . or in any other world, come to think of it . . ."

Alan looked down at the ground with a sorrowful expression on his face.

"If we don't win, everything will be destroyed . . . Nublar, the raptors . . . Charlie . . ."

Ellie did her best to keep an optimistic mien.

"Don't talk like that. We can do this. I _know_ we can. We've been through worse . . ."

"Have we?" Alan asked. Ellie smiled.

"Maybe, maybe not. It always seems like the end of the world when you're in it-"

"But this time, it really IS the end of the world," Alan pointed out.

To this, Ellie did not reply. Instead, she leaned down on her pteranodon with a tight-set jaw. Ian and Sarah brought their own pteranodons over, so that they stood in a straight line before Zebil.

"Are you ready?" the tiger boomed.

Ellie nodded.

"Where's The Star?"

Zebil snaked his tail through the cement like it was made of air. He pulled a glowing shape out of the ground and handed it to Ellie. It had no weight, no temperature, and no perceptible texture. It was as if Ellie was holding everything and nothing, and it defied explanation.

"I will give you a head start of thirty seconds," Zebil rumbled, "Because I am feeling extra generous today, I will count it as part of the five minutes. Not that it will matter . . ."

Ellie gave him one last glare before turning around on her pteranodon. Carried by a strong winter's wind, she soared across the sky with Alan, Ian, and Sarah close behind.

"Where should we go?" Alan asked as they sped over the town square, "Will he be able to reach us if we fly upwards?"

"Somehow, I think he can. Since we're out of his field of vision, I'll give you The Star, for now. That will _at least_ buy us some time . . ."

As Ellie handed Alan The Star, however, a blood-curdling roar came from the other side of town. Like a bolt of blue lightning, Zebil charged through the streets of Drumheller. As his claws scraped the pavement, they sent sparks flying in every direction. Ellie turned to Alan with panic.

"Go, go, go!"

The four of them dove down all at once, using gravity to gain momentum. Zebil chased after Ellie, having not seen her little ruse. She gasped as she felt the tiger's breath on her heels. Her pteranodon pumped its wings dutifully, yanking its feet away from the snapping jaws that trailed them.

Just when it seemed as though Ellie was done for, Ian swooped down from the sky and tore at Zebil's face. The tiger roared and batted at the decoy. As he did, however, Sarah flew in from the side and tugged on his whiskers. He yowled and swished his tail through the air, nearly knocking Ian off of his pteranodon.

The gang pulled away as the tiger snorted and pawed at the ground in fury. He snarled and pounced on Ellie, who dodged his attack with only inches to spare. Zebil chuckled as she struggled to steady herself.

"That was close, wasn't it, Sattler?" he jeered, "Strange . . . I would have expected Grant to come to your rescue right away-"

He broke off as he spotted Alan, who gulped and steered his pteranodon away.

"Oh, _I_ see . . ."

Zebil changed his course, heading straight for Alan's pteranodon. Ellie yelped and dove down to stop him. As she pecked at his haunches, Sarah and Ian sped over to meet Alan, who handed them The Star. After juggling the relic around for a bit, they split apart. Zebil roared in fury. Sarah and Ian were flying in two completely different directions, and he didn't know which one of them had The Star. After sending Ellie an angry hiss, he began to chase Ian. Alan glided down to Ellie's side and smiled.

"Does Ian have The Star?" Ellie asked.

"Nope," Alan replied.

"It's only a matter of time before he figures that out and goes after Sarah . . ."

"I know. She doesn't have it, either."

Alan pulled The Star out of his jacket and smiled.

"You sly dog . . ." Ellie laughed.

Alan tossed The Star to her and winked.

"You'd better fly around for a bit. Once he goes after Sarah, hand it to Ian."

Ellie nodded. Banking left, she steered her pteranodon in Ian's direction. Zebil had caught up with him, and was snapping at his heels. Ellie scraped across his back, but was ignored. Ian laughed and opened his arms patronizingly.

"Sorry, Zeb': I don't have your tree-topper!"

Zebil wasted no time. He tore across the town in search of Sarah. Ellie laughed and handed The Star to Ian.

"You know, this might not be so hard, after all!" she trilled, "How long have we been going?"

Ian looked at his watch.

"Wow. Almost three minutes. That's better than I expected . . ."

"So, what happens once he catches up with Sarah?"

"She'll say something like 'Run, Alan, run!', and we'll figure things out from there . . ."

Ian and Ellie soared above the town at a relaxed pace. Their pteranodons were glad to be out of the danger zone, even temporarily. They showed it by tossing their heads as they caught their breath, snorting lightly and clicking their beaks. In the distance, Ellie and Ian could see the narrator running down the railway tracks, pumping her arms up and down as she bounced with a bird-like gait.

Ian raised his eyebrow.

"Boy, she really wasn't all that helpful, was she?"

Before Ellie could answer, she was struck by a flying tree. Zebil had thrown an evergreen in their direction, probably with his tail. As Ellie was knocked askew, Ian dove down to help her. He managed to pull her upright by reaching out for her hand in a loop, but the peril was far from over. Zebil had decided to ignore Alan entirely, and was headed straight for Ian and Ellie. They split apart and flew low, praying that he would be confused by their sharp turns.

Hardly eight seconds had passed before Zebil caught up with them. Ian turned his pteranodon in a jet-like manoeuvre, but it wasn't long before he was at the mercy of Zebil's teeth. Like some sort of crazy dive-bomber, Sarah swooped past Ian, grabbing The Star as he threw it. Before Zebil could catch up to her, Ellie's pteranodon grazed his shoulder with its claws. Alan took The Star from Sarah, and in turn, handed it to Ellie when they were far enough. Zebil stared up at the four of them and laughed.

"You have a minute left. I must say, I'm very impressed with your flying skills . . ."

"Thanks, we're thinking of starting a team . . ." Ian quipped.

"But, regardless, you are destined to fail!" the tiger sneered.

"Looks like the kitty's getting grumpy!" Sarah taunted. Zebil ignored her and sharpened his claws on the side of an art gallery.

"Poor, pathetic humans . . . You were so _close_, but you've forgotten one crucial detail . . ."

"What's that?" Ian asked.

"I don't _need_ to catch The Star, as long as I have . . . one of _you_!"

And with that, he reached up and plucked Alan's pteranodon out of the sky. After snapping its neck, he held Alan between two of his claws.

"Give me The Star."

Ellie watched helplessly as Zebil began to tighten his grip. Alan winced as the tip of Zebil's claws pierced his skin. Ellie began to glide down.

"Ellie, no!" Ian stressed, "You can't let him have it!"

"I have no choice . . ."

Ellie held The Star in cupped hands. Zebil snatched it away with his tail and let Alan drop to the ground. Ellie landed by his side and helped him up, pulling him close. He bit his tongue in anguish.

"I shouldn't have let myself get caught. I'm so _stupid_-"

"Alan, this is _my_ fault," Ellie whispered, "But I'd save you a million times, if I had to. I know it was foolish, but-"

"Ellie . . ." Alan whispered sadly.

Zebil flipped The Star in his palm like a coin.

"How touching. Don't worry: I'll make sure you die together . . ."

He gave a deep, booming laugh.

"Anyway, I'd better set this storm in motion . . ."

With The Star cradled in the crook of his tail, Zebil leapt onto the roof of a barber shop and prowled towards the World's Largest Dinosaur. Ellie pulled herself out of Alan's arms and ran after him.

"Wait, stop!" she called out as the tiger fled down Main Street. She signaled to Ian and Sarah, who cut him off beside a giftshop.

"You can't stop me, you know . . ." he said, turning to Ellie, who was just catching up.

"I know," Ellie panted, "But I wanted to know if your offer to fight me one-on-one is still an option."

"Ellie, no!" Alan barked, "You'll be killed!"

Ellie continued to stare at Zebil.

"I have to make things right."

"You're PREGNANT!" Alan wailed.

Zebil raised his eyebrow.

"Two kills, for the price of one? Tempting, but I'm afraid I must refuse. I grow tired of your silly games."

He bounded across the field until he was at the dinosaur's foot. Ellie stumbled towards him on weak legs.

"Stop . . . Please . . ."

Zebil rolled his eyes and flicked his tail in irritation.

"You may as well just give up now, you know. Why not spend your last few moments with Grant, hm? Do you _really_ want your final memory to be an overwhelming feeling of helplessness?"

Ellie looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"You _know _that you're hurting people- good people- so, why are you so keen to destroy us all?"

The tiger chuffed.

"I'm the Lord of Darkness. It's kind of my job . . ."

Alan stepped forward.

"You don't have to do this. Please, have mercy . . ."

Zebil cocked his head.

"What makes you think that I care about your arbitrary, mortal ethics? Humans are a sorry lot, indeed! You are dominated by greed, ambition, and self-preservation. Just look at your narrator! She abandoned you without a second thought. And the Majordomo? He's nothing but a coward! A weak, feeble, selfish coward, who-"

Suddenly, Zebil was knocked to the ground by a giant blast of dirt and rubble. Ellie and Alan grabbed each other as they hit the ground, sheltering themselves from the falling debris. When the dust cleared, a valiant figure reloaded his bazooka and smiled down at them from a white, winged horse.

"Thank you for providing such an eloquent and flattering introduction, Zebil!" the Majordomo quipped, "But I think you'll find that it was quite erroneous."

"You came back for us!" Ellie beamed. The Majordomo shrugged.

"I came back to save the Overworld, that's all. I'd explain my reasoning, but I already recited my soliloquy, back home . . ."

"Fool! You can't defeat me!" Zebil roared.

"Au contraire, mon ami! I have a pegasus and a bazooka!" he clucked.

Zebil made a lunge for him, but the Majordomo was too quick. Spiraling through the air like a white corkscrew, he tilted his gun towards the growling tiger. Ian and Sarah dove down on their pteranodons to snatch Ellie and Alan out of harm's way. The second blast set the base of the World's Largest Dinosaur on fire. The flames crackled and snapped as they crept up the dinosaur's leg, charring its paint as they licked the fiberglass structure.

Zebil stumbled out of the fire with a singed coat. He gave a ferocious roar and pounced on the Majordomo. In an unfortunately-timed reflex, the Majordomo shot a shell at the leaping tiger, causing it to explode in midair and knock them both to the ground. With a pained grunt, the Majordomo began to crawl towards his weapon, which had fallen out of his hands. Zebil stepped on his back, pinning him to the ground.

"Oh, what a shame it is to kill you, when you seemed so close to success . . ." he sneered, "But it can't be helped, can it? You're weak!"

Zebil grabbed the Majordomo in his jaws and flung him across the field. He crashed against a metal pole, which belonged to the tail of a waterpark dinosaur. The sprinklers came to life, soaking the Majordomo as he coughed and sputtered, winded by the blow.

"How does it feel, Majordomo, to die like a hero?" Zebil growled as he stalked over on light paws, "I suppose you'll never know, will you? Can you feel it, mon petit? Can you feel yourself disappearing?"

The Majordomo lifted his hand. The tips of his fingers were becoming transparent.

"It won't be long now, Majordomo," the tiger continued, "Soon, you'll be nothing more than a memory. Then, you'll be less than that, because everyone who ever knew you will be DEAD."

The Majordomo flicked his eyes to the side and back.

"Zebil, you're crazy!" he coughed. The tiger tossed back his head and laughed.

"_You're_ one to judge! You tried to defeat the Lord of Darkness . . ."

"I _almost_ succeeded . . ." the Majordomo protested.

"Right you are!" Zebil chuckled, "But now, it's all over . . ."

The Majordomo sniffed. Zebil frowned as his light giggling evolved into hysterical laughter. He slapped the Majordomo with his paw.

"What's so funny?!" he roared.

The Majordomo wiped away a tear and steadied his breathing.

"You just fell for the oldest trick in the book . . ."

"Did I?" Zebil asked mockingly.

"Yep. Sixty-five million years old, to be exact . . ."

Zebil whipped his head around, but it was too late. Ellie had taken aim from the side, and she pulled the bazooka's trigger with a sardonic smile.

_BAM!_

The waterpark erupted into a flurry of concrete and shrapnel. The burst pipes sprayed in every direction, twisting around oddly like mangled, frozen snakes. The gang gave a loud cheer. Ellie's smile faded, however, when she saw that Zebil was still standing.

"Oh . . . I guess the Lord of Darkness is impervious to explosions . . ." Ian clucked. Zebil growled in response.

A deep groan came from the wet rubble.

"You know, my clever quip has been wasted by this lack of payoff . . ." the Majordomo sighed flatly.

Zebil leaned down towards him and smiled cruelly.

"It WASrather underwhelming. How about the next best thing?"

Laughing malevolently, Zebil wrapped his tail around the Majordomo and flung him across the town like a ragdoll. Ellie watched in horror as he flailed his arms helplessly, flipping around uncontrollably against the stormy sky. As he disappeared over the rooftops, Zebil turned to Ellie with a businesslike air.

"Right. I guess it's time to kill YOU."


	49. Deus Ex Machina

The narrator ceased to pummel the railroad gravel with her feet when she heard a familiar scream. It grew louder and louder, and suddenly, out of the sky, the Phantom of the Opera tumbled over her head and landed face-down in the dirt, creating a long drag-mark behind him. After giving a deep moan, he pressed his hands against the ground and peeled himself away from the pebbly terrain.

"Ow . . ." he muttered.

"You're all wet . . ." the narrator observed.

The Phantom of the Opera gave her a sardonic frown and brushed himself off. As he did so, however, he noticed that his hands were becoming quite transparent.

"Great . . ." he mumbled.

"So, what brings _you _here?" the narrator asked casually, pulling an Aero bar out of her front pocket.

"A very angry tiger . . ." the Phantom replied flatly, "But, more accurately, my foolish inability to let myself NOT care about the fate of the Neoverse . . ."

"Wait, so you_ actually_ came back to save those guys?" the narrator gaped as she unwrapped her candy. The Phantom shrugged and turned around.

"Well, you know how it is. You can't hold a grudge forever. I think it's time I moved on."

"Interesting . . ." the narrator said vaguely.

"And what about you?" the Phantom asked, "Are you running away?"

"Something like that," she replied breezily, "You wouldn't happen to know if there's a phone booth around, would you? . . ."

"Nope, sorry!" he called over his shoulder as he jogged down the road.

"Where are you _going_?" the narrator yelled shrilly.

"To help my friends . . . if there's anything left of me by the time I get there, that is . . ."

The narrator watched him leave with her head cocked to one side. She took a small bite of her Aero bar and rubbed her chin.

"Interesting . . ."

***_TSJPFEW_***

Zebil had tied Alan, Ian, and Sarah to a car beneath the World's Largest Dinosaur. The structure, still on fire, would occasionally drop small chunks of burning plaster beside them, like falling stars. Every time this happened, they flinched, waiting for one of the diminutive comets to hit the gas tank.

As bad as things were for _them_, Ellie's situation was a million times worse. Zebil had placed her in the dinosaur's viewing area, which happened to be situated inside the statue's mouth. Ellie could feel the heat rising from inside the dinosaur's throat, as though it was preparing to breathe fire. Her stomach gave a small lurch as she felt the structure rock to the side. Once the neck had been burned, the entire head would crash down onto the pavement, landing directly on Alan, Ian, and Sarah. The entire setup was genius in its simplicity and, basic physics allowed, would probably go off without a hitch.

Ellie watched with curiosity as Zebil fiddled with The Star. He was trying to get it to float, apparently, but with no success. Every time he'd throw it up in the air, it would land on the ground in an unimpressive manner. Ellie smirked from her perch and called down to him.

"Having trouble with your prize, Zebil?" she asked mockingly.

"I'm just getting warmed up . . ." he replied icily, ". . . as are _you_, for that matter . . ."

Ellie could feel the platform beneath her shoes growing hot as the fire spread across the staircase behind her. She gulped, then turned back to Zebil.

"You know, you're not a very good 'Lord of Darkness' . . ."

"Oh?"

"Mhm. You almost lost our little game of keep-away . . ."

"Don't flatter yourself. I was letting you win."

"Oh, sure . . ." Ellie drawled, "That's exactly the kind of thing I'd say if I was too embarrassed to admit that I suck at my job."

Without warning, Zebil grabbed Ellie with his tail and held her up to his face.

"Don't insult me, ma chérie! You don't know who you're dealing with . . ."

"Yes, I do!" Ellie smirked, "You're nothing but an overgrown kitty cat . . ."

"I feed on the misery of mankind . . ."

"An overgrown lawyer, then!"

Zebil growled and tossed her back into the dinosaur's mouth. She hit the closed doors in its throat with a loud bang. The metal was getting really hot . . .

"Meow, meow, meow, meow: meow, meow, meow, meow: meow-meow-meow-meow-MEOW-meow-meow-meow!"

Below, Alan was singing the Meow Mix jingle. Zebil was not amused.

"Fool! You're about to die!"

Ian and Sarah joined in.

"Meow, meow, meow, meow: meow, meow, meow, meow: meow-meow-meow-meow-MEOW-meow-meow-meow!" they chorused.

Zebil put his paws over his ears and growled.

"Shut up! SHUT UP!" he shrilled.

"What? You don't like this song?" Ellie asked.

"NO!" Zebil shrieked.

Alan, Ian and Sarah stopped singing. They exchanged a look, then proceeded to sing Jingle Cats, instead.

"Meow, meow, meow-meow-meow: meow, meow, meow-meow-meow . . ."

Zebil roared and grabbed Ellie once more.

"Stop singing, or I'll _kill_ her, right before your eyes . . ."

"Why not use The Star to vaporize me?" Ellie asked coyly, "Unless you're having _trouble_, that is . . ."

"I'm _not_ having trouble!" Zebil spat.

"I think he needs Star-Viagra . . ." Ian said smugly.

"You'd do best to hold your tongue, Malcolm!" Zebil growled, "I am perfectly capable of using The Star!"

"Prove it!" Ellie hummed, crossing her arms.

Zebil put her down on the cement and threw The Star into the air. Before it was able to hit the ground, he caught it in his paw. Frustrated, he tried again, but to no avail. On the third try, he wound up his tail, launched The Star into the sky, and waited for it to fall. Just as it was about to touch his head, The Star zoomed across the sky as though it was being pulled by a fishing line. Zebil watched it disappear into the distance with constricted pupils and drooping whiskers. His eye twitched slightly.

"What that _supposed_ to happen?" Ellie asked.

Zebil whipped his head around and growled. Crouching down, he began to advance towards her. Ellie backed away slowly as he wound himself up for a pounce. All at once, his muscles tensed, and he launched himself into the air.

'WREEWREEWREEWREE!'

With a surreal, electric whinny, a bright yellow shape crashed into Zebil's side and knocked him over. Its wings flapping lightly in the air, the dragon tore into his side with glistening teeth and black-tipped claws. Zebil howled and tried to shake her off, but to no avail. Taking advantage of this remarkable occurrence, Ellie untied her friends. The four of them ran down the street as fast as they could, the car exploding behind them.

"Shit, that was close!" Ian chattered.

They continued to run until they heard the thick beating of feathered wings.

"Need a lift?" the Majordomo asked as he glided down from the sky on his winged horse.

"You're alive!" Ellie gasped.

"Yes, and I'm not disappearing anymore, either! I'll explain everything later, but right now, I think we should fly."

When all five of them were seated securely on the horse, they took off with a mighty flap of the pegasus' wings. They soared past the dueling deities, who slammed into each other like feuding stags. Alan watched them with wide eyes.

"What the hell is _that_?" he blathered.

"I think it's the 'bigger fish' . . ." Ellie marveled.

They soared out of the Overworld just as the mighty dragon prepared her final attack. The Star, which had been hovering between the tips of her horns, dropped down into the crook of her rack. It spun around until it was a blur of light, then unleashed a thick beam on the crouching tiger. He was blasted into the sky, far above the atmosphere, and into the depths of what lay beyond the Overworld. With The Star glowing radiantly between her horns, Elkay stood on her hind legs and gave a triumphant roar as the World's Largest Dinosaur crumbled behind her.


	50. Happy Ending

It was like a dream to come home after such a long and convoluted ordeal, but somehow, Ellie managed to get through the initial chaos without too much trouble. After landing the injured pegasus on Nublar's main pier, the gang found that most everyone on the island had come to greet them. How they knew they'd arrive from the North, Ellie would never know. All she cared about was the general sense of relief that she felt as they touched solid ground. Charlie was the first to come running up to them, followed by Kelly, then Val and Ellie's raptor squad. Morton and Penelope joined them, and after that, Robin and Yannick, who held their children in their arms. Even Seriama showed up, though she didn't wish to interfere with their tender moment.

The Majordomo bid them farewell and returned to Paris, only to come back a few hours later to give them a quick update on their situation. He explained that no one had, in fact, _died_ in the battle, as fictional characters were nigh unkillable. Everyone had been sent back to their homeworlds to recover, though it was only a temporary fix. The YAs and likewise, however, were not sent to the Purgatorium, but received their own canons, just like that, without any hassle. No one objected to the addition of these characters (well, except for Phoenix Wright, but he was mostly doing it for show), and all was forgiven. Together, they rebuilt Drumheller, wiping memories and patching time and space in the process, until it was exactly as it had been before the war. Oddly enough, the Majordomo found that his powers had been strengthened, as he was now able to tweak Fiction to his liking. The first thing he did with said powers was to bring back his old friend, Alan Grant (of the novel canon, of course). He tried to bring back some other Phantoms of the Opera, just for charity's sake, but something inside of him had changed. Carrying the collective consciousness of these Phantoms, he was, in fact, the only member of his particular breed.

Everyone suspected, of course, that Elkay was behind these unexpected changes, and they were absolutely right. For this reason, they were disappointed when she didn't return to explain her actions. Nevertheless, they were satisfied with their current leader, the Majordomo, who governed them in an all-new, unbiased, and altogether enlightened rule. After the Fictional War of Drumheller, he had a lot of conflicts to resolve, but nothing too serious, thankfully. No one saw Elkay for quite some time after the war, nor Zebil, for that matter. There wasn't even the faintest trace of either deity in Fiction or the Overworld.

That is, except for a malfunctioning waterfountain, which had inexplicably burst in the halls of an Albertan university.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Three weeks later, Crusher came skipping down the hallway on his brand-new peg-leg.

"Ellie! Ellie! I'm getting married!"

Ellie lowered her newspaper and gave him a questioning look.

"Married? You?"

He nodded eagerly.

"Yeah. You remember Princeton, right? He's good friends with Cassandra . . ."

"And he introduced you two?" Ellie asked.

"No! It's not Cassandra I'm marrying: it's Princeton!"

Ellie spat out her orange juice. After clearing her throat, she turned to Kipper, who was putting a slice of bread in the toaster.

"Did you know he was-"

"Nope. It's news to me . . ."

Ellie smiled and wrapped her arms around Crusher's neck.

"Congratulations, Crusher! I'm really happy for you," she beamed.

"And that's not the only good news: Nellie's agreed to become my hunting apprentice, since we're both lacking in leg mobility."

"Great! I'm sure you'll be a wonderful mentor," Ellie said brightly.

"And a wonderful partner, too," Val added, stepping into the kitchen, "Princeton is lucky to have someone as dashing as my son . . ."

"Oh, Ma! You're too nice . . ." Crusher hummed with pompous humility.

"It's true!" Val stressed, sitting down at the table, "You're lucky to find love at such a young age. Don't let anyone tell you that you're in the wrong, either. If you don't take this chance, you'll regret it forever . . ."

Charlie burst through the door with the energy of a caffeinated squirrel. Skidding across the kitchen floor, he crashed into Val's leg, but recovered almost immediately. He pattered up to Ellie with his tail wagging furiously behind him.

"Dad says that the Malcolms are coming!"

"They are, yes . . ." Ellie said calmly.

"Is Kelly coming too?"

"I _think_ so . . ."

Charlie hopped up and down with excitement.

"When are they coming?"

"Well . . . Soon."

Charlie dashed out the door, nearly knocking over a potted plant. Ellie rolled her eyes.

"Do you know where you're going?" she called.

"The dock!" Charlie said over his shoulder.

Ellie turned to her friends and gave them an exasperated smile.

"I'd better join him. See you guys in a bit . . ."

Ellie stood up and ran after Charlie. It was hard to keep up with him, now that she couldn't morph into a raptor. She really wished that she had thought of this before taking the cure.

Ah, well. There was nothing she could do about it now . . .

***_TSJPFEW_***

When she finally arrived at the dock, Ellie found Alan, Robin, and Yannick waiting for her. Ian and Sarah were stepping down from the boat, carrying three suitcases between the two of them. Ellie jogged up to Alan, panting heavily.

"Where's . . . Charlie . . ." she puffed.

"He already left with Kelly," Alan replied.

"Yeah, and she didn't bother bringing her suitcase, either!" Ian grunted, "I swear, she must have packed bricks . . ."

Sarah and Robin exchanged a hug.

"How are things?" Sarah asked cheerfully.

"Same old, same old. The kids are a handful . . ." Robin laughed.

"I imagine it must be difficult, with- . . . Well, I imagine it must be difficult."

Robin nodded.

"We manage. Most of the time, anyway . . ."

An awkward moment passed between the six of them. They exchanged sad smiles and began to walk down the pier.

"I guess we did pretty well for ourselves, if you think about it . . ." Ellie sighed, "I mean, we almost defeated The Lord of Darkness!"

Ian nodded.

"And we're safe and sound . . . Most of us . . ."

Robin sighed.

"I don't think I could have handled fifteen, anyway . . ."

Yannick gave her a sympathetic look and hugged her leg. She nuzzled him gently with her snout. Ellie watched them with sorrow. She couldn't begin to imagine how hard it must be for them to keep their relationship intact. Still, Yannick seemed to have found his previously-lost love for Robin, which was more than enough to keep them together.

For now, anyway.

Seeing that Ellie was in distress, Alan held her hand. She smiled up at him, but less surely than she would have wanted.

"I guess we all have issues to deal with . . ." Ellie philosophized, holding her slightly-rounded belly, "Still, we always pull through. Just like the clovers . . ."

"Maybe your mother wasn't entirely full of shit. Just ninety-nine percent . . ."

Ellie smiled and gave him a kiss.

"Hey, lovebirds! You coming?" Robin chirped.

Ellie and Alan rolled their eyes and began to stroll down the dock.

"Do you think things will get harder? You know: once the baby arrives . . ." Ellie wondered. Alan nodded.

"Undoubtedly. But we'll be fine, just as long as we're together."

"And we _will_ be, I promise," Ellie said seriously, "I don't think anything on earth could keep us apart . . ."

"Don't jinx it!" Alan chuckled.

Ellie rubbed her nose against his.

"What's a little bad luck to a clover?"

"You know, I like the sound of that . . ."

"Of what?"

"Clover."

Ellie smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. He held her hand, but gave a small sigh.

"It really is too bad that things didn't turn out differently . . ."

Ellie shrugged.

"Yeah, but there's nothing we can do. We just have to play along and hope for the best. It's not like we have the power to change fate . . ."

Behind them, the tide erupted into a whirlpool of electricity and light. A spiraling vortex of seawater snaked out of the ocean, sending tiny droplets flying in all directions. From this glowing twister, a bright yellow figure emerged, landing on the dock without a sound. Folding her wings behind her, she stepped forward with calculated steps.

"Hello . . ." she said to the gang as they gaped in amazement, "I have returned. You know who I am, correct?"

Ellie nodded slowly.

"You saved us from Zebil. You're-"

"Elkay of Asterpara, yes," she said with a nod, "I come bearing gifts. You shall receive them shortly, but on one condition . . ."

"W-we weren't expecting-"

"I know. But you'll like them, I promise. The condition is this: you must allow Henry Wu to reside on Isla Sorna."

"Wu?" Robin gasped, "He's _alive_? What if he-"

"He is in no condition to turn down your hospitality. There will be no trouble. Leave him be, and you'll never have to worry about him again."

Ellie considered this, then nodded.

"If you say so . . ." she sighed, "I guess there's no harm in letting him stay. Someone ought to tell Seriama-"

"It is already done," Elkay said calmly, "Now, it is time for you to receive my good tidings. Behold . . ."

She dipped her head down low, in front of the gang, and all six of them began to glow. When the light faded, there was no perceptible difference in any of them, with the exception of Robin, who was no longer a dinosaur. Panicked, she spun around to examine herself.

"Ack! What have you done?! I have dinosaur-babies to take care of . . ."

Elkay nodded.

"You are now able to shift between your human and allosaurus morphs. Yannick also possesses this ability."

Yannick and Robin tried out their new powers. Sure enough, they were able to morph back and forth with ease. Yannick smiled at the dragon with tears in his eyes.

"Thank you . . . You'll never know how much this means to me . . ."

Elkay gave him a small nod, then turned to Ian and Sarah.

"You two have the power to morph into utahraptors. Use it well, and stay away from inflated objects while you have quills . . ."

"Cool, thanks!" Ian said, sprouting a couple of spikes for fun.

Finally, Elkay turned to Ellie and Alan, who looked away humbly.

"Alan, Ellie . . . You can morph into every dinosaur you know of. Should you encounter new dinosaurs in the future, their DNA will be added to your database automatically. Unfortunately, although you will be able to speak English while morphed, you will not be allowed to enhance your avian appearance. This shouldn't be a problem, as you'll be able to morph into pteranodons for flight-"

"Wait, wait, wait . . . Pteranodons?" Alan asked, "Those aren't theropods . . ."

"Did I _say_ theropods?" Elkay retorted testily, "I seem to remember defining your abilities as morphing into _any_ dinosaur you can think of."

"Oh my god . . ." Ellie breathed, "Are you serious?"

"Yes: I am serious," Elkay said evenly, "I feel as though you deserve a lucky break, after all of that unpleasantness with the narrator . . . Oh, that reminds me!"

She dipped her tail into the water and pulled out a letter. Ellie took it from her triangular tail-tip as she held it out to her.

"I should give this to you. It's an apology."

"From the narrator?" Ellie asked.

Elkay paused thoughtfully before answering.

"Yes. That is true. Feel free to open it later. For now, I bid you farewell. Go. Tell the raptors what I've done. I'll be preparing to leave now: slowly . . . slowly . . . slowly . . ."

She spread her wings in feigned slow-motion. Ellie watched the display with confusion, then turned to leave.

"Goodbye . . . and thank you!"

"Nooooooooo prooooooooobleeeeeeeeem . . ." Elkay drawled lazily.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Charlie and Kelly didn't notice their parents coming until they were halfway down the road. They exchanged a confused look, trying to guess at the reason behind their parents' odd gait. They were running at a quick pace, which indicated that they must have big news. That, or Kelly was in trouble for not carrying her own suitcase.

"Charlieeeeeeeee!" Ellie shouted cheerfully.

"Yeah? What?" he replied with confusion.

Charlie received no verbal explanation for her glee. Instead, she morphed into a raptor, tackled him to the ground, and began to toss him up and down with her feet. He watched her with wide eyes, still tumbling through the air as she kicked him playfully.

"Mom? How-"

Before he could finish, another raptor grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and flipped him around. Charlie slid down his shoulders hurriedly, then looked up at him with amazement.

"DAD?!"

Alan nodded.

"Yep: it's me!"

Charlie blinked, still astonished. He didn't quite know how to react to this development. Kelly, too, was having trouble understanding why her parents were currently throwing her up into the air as utahraptors.

"This is impossible . . ." Charlie whispered.

"Says the talking raptor!" Alan chuckled. Charlie hugged his face and giggled uncontrollably.

As they began to explain their situation, Val spotted them from her rocking chair outside of the Safari Lodge and ran over.

"Ellie? Alan? Ian? Sarah? How on earth-"

"Elkay gave us the ability to morph," Ellie explained, "Ian and Sarah can only become utahraptors, but Alan and I-"

"She can _do_ that?" Val interrupted.

"Well, yeah . . . She _is_ a semi-omnipotent being . . ."

Val started to twitch a little.

"Do you think- I mean- Is she still _there_?" she blathered. Alan shrugged.

"She was taking a long time to get moving, the last time we saw-"

Val zipped past them, leaving a strong wind in her wake. Everyone watched as she darted through the jungle, running faster than a cheetah on steroids.

"What do you suppose _that_ was about? . . ." Sarah asked with a furrowed brow.

"I haven't the faintest idea . . ." Ellie replied dazedly.

"Is she coming back?" Ian asked.

"Let's hope so . . ." Alan sighed.

***_TSJPFEW_***

Val did return, eventually, though no one recognized her, at first. Her scar, of course, was a dead giveaway, but what threw everyone off was that fact that she was no longer a raptor, but a tall, elegant, absolutely non-saurian woman. She appeared to be in her mid-forties, with a decent physique and a sophisticated air. Her eyes, now blue, showed no signs of her previously-sustained half-blindness. Crusher nearly fainted when he saw her. Ellie, too, was dumbfounded. No one quite knew what to make of it.

Val tossed her dark hair casually over one shoulder as she strutted across the kitchen.

"What? Do I have something stuck in my teeth? . . ."

"Val, what happened?" Ellie asked with wide eyes.

"Oh, nothing. I just had a little chat with Elkay, that's all . . ."

"And she gave you the ability to morph? . . ." Ellie prompted.

Val smiled proudly.

"Nope, this is permanent!"

Crusher swayed a little, then collapsed with his paw turned dramatically over his forehead.

"Someone, grab a bucket!" Kipper ordered, turning on the tap.

As they fanned an unconscious Crusher with Ellie's newspaper, Mr. Arnold came in with a large computer monitor in his arms.

"Hey, Ellie! Y'want me to set this up in the lobby?"

Ellie nodded.

"Sure, that would be great . . ."

Ray nodded and shifted the apparatus over his chest as he leaned backwards. Robert Muldoon followed him into the kitchen, carrying a tangle of wires in his arms. As a keyboard clattered to the floor, Val rushed over to pick it up.

"I'll help . . ." she offered.

As Muldoon handed her half of his load, he gave her a quick once-over, trying to identify this strange, new woman. When he recognized her, his eyes went wide.

"You look . . . different . . ." he observed.

"Is different bad? . . ." she asked nervously.

"No. Not at all."

Ellie watched as they followed Ray down the hall.

"Um, quick question: are you free tonight?" Val asked timidly. Muldoon nodded.

"Yes. I don't really have much planned for the rest of the evening . . . Why?"

Val shrugged innocently.

"Oh . . . No reason."

***_TSJPFEW_***

After a long day of testing out their raptor morphs, Ellie and Alan trudged down the hallway and collapsed onto their bed with a deep sigh. Ellie stretched out her legs as Alan began to rub her shoulders to release the tension. It seemed as though every muscle in her body was aching from the exercise. Still, there was no better feeling than running across Nublar as a raptor . . .

"You have fun today?" Alan asked as his massaging shifted in nature. Ellie turned her head to kiss him.

. . . Okay, maybe there was ONE better feeling . . .

As Ellie and Alan rolled across the bed, however, they noticed the narrator's letter lying on the bedside table. Ellie reached over and grabbed it with disinterest, resting her chin on Alan's chest.

"I guess we ought to read this . . ." she hummed.

Ellie unfolded the letter, which was written in golden ink. She rolled her eyes. Boy, this girl was dramatic . . .

_Dear Ellie,_

_I'm deeply sorry for all the trouble I've caused, even before we met. It was very rude of me to interfere with your personal affairs, even though everything just happened to work out in the end. Speaking of which, good luck with your new powers! Yes, I know about those, too. I TOLD you things would get better in the dénouement, didn't I? Anyway, I hope you're doing well, and I can't wait for our next encounter; something tells me we're sure to have a "ball"._

_All the best!_

_-LK_

Ellie gave a sardonic snicker.

"Ha! Arrogant tart! She signed it 'LK'!"

Alan frowned in confusion.

"Why would she sign it 'Elkay'?" he asked as he took the letter from her. Ellie shook her head.

"No, no! Not 'Elkay'! The letters 'L' and 'K', as in-"

She broke off. Her eyes went wide.

Alan rubbed his chin.

"You don't think . . ."

Ellie snatched the letter away from him and scanned it with a furrowed brow. After thinking things through, she lowered the paper and stared into the distance.

"Oh my God . . ."


	51. To Be Continued

Shivering in December's frost, a very unremarkable girl meandered through a public zoo, scanning the enclosures for a familiar face. She found it in a cramped pen, where a group of large felines paced back and forth in agitation. One such feline prowled over as she beckoned him, purring softly.

"You're late . . ." he rumbled.

"It depends on what you mean by 'late'," she retorted, "In Overworld time, I could very well be early . . ."

The tiger chuckled.

"Would it be too cliché to call you 'Clever Girl'? . . ."

"Very much so," she replied breezily, unwrapping a chocolate bar. The tiger sneered at her with disgust.

"I don't know how you can stand those things! It's nothing but bubbles . . ."

"And I suppose Mars bars are much healthier, Mr. Pot?"

The tiger rolled his eyes.

"Touché."

"So, let's talk. We'd better hurry, lest we be discovered . . ."

"Are you implying that talking to a tiger makes you look suspicious?" he quipped coyly.

"_I'm_ not the one who's giving us away . . ." she replied tersely.

"What? I'm orange, aren't I?" the tiger protested.

"Yes, but this enclosure is for bengal tigers. You, my good friend, are a _sumatran_ tiger . . ."

"Big difference! Nobody cares . . ."

"They ought to."

Neither of them spoke for a while. The girl finished her chocolate bar and wiped her fingers on her sweatpants.

"So, why did you call me here?" she asked.

"I have a proposition . . ."

"Shouldn't we have dinner, first?"

"Don't be petulant. This concerns you."

"Why's that?"

"Because you owe me a favor."

The girl snuffed and turned around.

"Do I, now? . . ."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, you do. I helped you pull off your stupid therapy ploy-"

"Hey, I never said that you _had_ to do any of this . . ."

"I know. But your Majordomo is cured of his ridiculous obsession with perpetuality, is he not?"

"He is, but I'm not-"

"You'll enjoy this, I promise . . ."

The tiger stepped up onto a stone and wrapped his tail around his front paws.

"I've created a world."

"You wh-at?" the girl gasped, "Without me? For shame!"

"Sorry, sorry . . . It had to be done. Anyway, I've chosen a Magistrate. He's perfect for the job, I think you'll find . . ."

"Do I know him?" the girl asked as she pulled out another chocolate bar.

"Nah, but I think you'll like him just fine."

"What franchise?"

"A franchise you're familiar with. So, I was thinking, since you put me through all of that shit, maybe _this_ time, _I_ could be-"

"I know what you're going to say, and the answer is no. This is what we agreed to. You can't just wipe away a trillion-year-old tradition!"

"I know, I know . . . But say we brought Xyphon-"

The girl chucked her chocolate bar at the tiger's face.

"No. I'm Queen for a reason. You think the Asterparans will look fondly on our little games? No, this is too important to risk my reputation over. If we're gonna involve Xyphon, it had better be during the war to end all wars."

"And-"

"I'm not quite ready yet."

"Ah. In that case, I _will _play the villain again, but on one condition: you must bring Ellie Sattler to fight on your side."

The girl sighed heavily.

"I just _finished_ with her! Can't we get someone else? . . ."

"No, it _has _to be her."

"Why?"

"Because of the nature of my world."

"Nature?"

"Because of the franchise it contains."

The girl turned around slowly.

"Zebil . . . Exactly what _kind_ of world did you create?"

The tiger gave her an unsettling smile.

"Haven't you guessed?"

Slightly alarmed, the girl shuffled backwards.

"What kind of world, Zebil? . . ."

"A Jurassic World."


End file.
